The Tribune

By Neil Hartnell, The Tribune

Cat Island residents said Hurricane Sandy seemed to have been less severe than Hurricane Irene, which devastated the island in 2011.

No injuries or fatalities were said to have occurred as a result of Sandy.

Corporal Andrew Taylor, the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBF) officer in charge of north Cat Island, told The Tribune: "When it [Sandy] passed there was a lot of wind and rain, but no major damages.

"Where I live part of the roof came off, and there were a couple of trees on the road and trees fell on the roof of an old lady's house in Orange Creek. We expected it. It was okay. Irene was the worst."

Corporal Taylor said most Cat Islanders rode out Hurricane Sandy at home, with the island's shelters virtually empty apart from one where six people sought refuge.

Asked how long it would take to clean up Hurricane Sandy's aftermath, he replied: "Two to three days at most."

Cat Island was the second Bahamian island to take a direct hit from Sandy. It appeared to have fared better than Long Island, which took the initial brunt.