Saturday, August 27, 2011

News from the Tribune

Following is an article from the Tribune:

 

Davis: Irene caused millions of dollars in damage to Cat Island

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Published On:Saturday, August 27, 2011
By TANEKA THOMPSON
Deputy Chief Reporter
tthompson@tribunemedia.net
RESIDENTS whose homes were destroyed by Hurricane Irene began picking up the pieces of their lives yesterday, sifting through debris and repairing roofs in a desperate bid to return to normalcy.
The Tribune toured portions of Cat island yesterday with a team led by area MP Philip 'Brave' Davis, and found dozens of homes either left uninhabitable, destroyed or with significant roof damage.
Mr Davis said Irene caused millions of dollars in damage to the island and has traumatised the nearly 1,800 inhabitants.
There was no power on the island up to 8pm last night. Snapped power lines and downed poles littered the streets making it difficult to manoeuvre around significant portions of the island.
"My stove gone, fridge gone, everything gone," said Doreen Farrington, a resident of The Lot in Orange Creek.
The unemployed mother spent several frightful hours holed up in her friend's home as Irene ripped through the two-story wooden structure, taking with it a portion of the house's eastern wall.
Shattered glass, portions of the home's roof and other household debris were strewn around the property when The Tribune visited yesterday. Miraculously, Ms Farrington and the other two people in the home during the storm were not seriously hurt.
She was just one of dozens of residents on that island who were trying to sort through the damage left behind by Irene and salvage precious personal belongings.
Many also complained that food and water they had stored was washed away by torrential rain and storm surges.
"It was very heartwarming to see that despite all of the physical damages we did not lose any lives," Mr Davis told The Tribune at the end of yesterday's assessment.
"The physical damage is substantial. . . What is concerning is not just the physical restoration. . . but the hurricane was a traumatic experience. A number of persons on the island are still in a daze from what they experienced".
Mr Davis, along with PLP leader Perry Christie, plan to return to Cat Island and visit Rum Cay, San Salvador, Acklins and other islands hurt by the tropical cyclone.

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