Charter flight brings home hurricane-affected Guyanese

Oct 09, 2017 News

Government has begun to evacuate some of its citizens who were living in areas which were devastated by recent hurricanes.
Some of the affected persons returned home this week from areas such as Dominica, which suffered massive damage and loss of lives, after being hit last September by Maria, a category five hurricane.

A scene of destruction in Dominica

One Guyanese had recounted losing “everything” she had acquired during her approximately ten years on the island.
She also spoke of scenes, reminiscent of a post-apocalyptic movie: trees uprooted from nearby mountains, her son seeing a decomposed body being carried away, another corpse in a ravine near the country’s drinking supply, looted stores, and of her husband having to trek for hours to find food for the family.
She recounted crouching with her family in her home as the wind, which “sounded like an angry demon”, blew her door and storm windows open,
She said that the storm ‘sucked’ their valuables out of the house.
“The next day, I could not believe how the landscape had changed; (it was) like something huge had plucked all the trees and grass from the mountains. The mountains were littered with zinc sheets, galvanized, etc. The unassuming river (some 50 feet from our home) was now a raging monster.
“Our apartment was flooded and it seemed as if the river was beginning to seep inside, because there was so much mud in the house.
“My son saw a decomposing body being carried, and there are reports of unburied bodies. One was lying in a ravine near the ‘Gutter Village’s’ water supply.”
Hurricane Maria, the second major storm to hit the Caribbean this month, left at least 15 people dead and 20 more missing in Dominica, the small island, according to Roosevelt Skerrit, the nation’s Prime Minister. This puts the death toll to at least 25 across the Caribbean.
The category five storm, destroyed some 95 percent of structures, cut off the mountainous island’s communication systems and shut its two airports.
A statement from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said that its record-topping winds reached 160 miles per hour when it hit the island nation. We cry but do not despair,” PM Skerrit said as he addressed the 72nd Session of the U.N. General Assembly.
Guyana has pledged support to the CARICOM member state. Relief supplies, including lumber, have been shipped to some hurricane-hit Caribbean islands.
Minister of Citizenship, Winston Felix, recently revealed that Guyanese nationals expressed a preference to remain and rebuild, but want their children evacuated.
The hurricane-hit island of Dominica is to receive £5M in UK aid to help the recovery effort, it has been announced. The move brings the UK Government’s financial support for the Caribbean region ravaged by two tropical storms to £62M.

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