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Relief supplies arrive in Mayaguana

Photos: Valden Fernander

By BRENT STUBBS

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

ALTHOUGH there was minimum structural damage, many of the 200-plus residents of Mayaguana are hoping that they can get though the flooding in the majority of their three settlements so that they can quickly complete the restoration process in the aftermath of Hurricane Joaquin.

On Saturday, a team from the Tribune Media Groups' SOS - Save Our South operation along with a volunteer team from the HeadKnowles relief group landed on the most easterly of the Bahamas chain of islands and brought more than 75,000 pounds of supplies of clothing, food, water and bleach packaged in Nassau on a DC-3 cargo plane to assist the residents in Abraham's Bay, Pirate's Well and Betsy Bay.

Assistant Superintendent of Police, Tess Newbold and her team of four officers were at the airport to greet the delegation and were joined by the five Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) officers, led by Chief Petty Officer Patrick Adderley, who have been deployed to the island to assist in the restoration.

"There was extreme flooding and heavy winds, ASP Newbold told The Tribune. "There was a lot of internal ceiling damage, along with water damage to supplies. So we anticipate contamination of the wells for the next couple of weeks. The ponds overflow into the wells, so I anticipate some issues with that." However, she said that they thank God that there was no evacuation of people from their homes.

While the structural damage was not as significant as elsewhere in the southern islands hit by Joaquin over a week ago, Trevor Collie said the hurricane was not a frightening experience but the problem was the lack of warning. "It was rough, but I had to ride it out," said Mr Collie, who resides in Abraham's Bay, the main settlement.

"I've never experienced anything like this. I was home alone, but the scary part for me was that I didn't get any warning that this was coming so I couldn't get any supplies to help me through the storm. I'm glad that I got through it and that nobody's life was taken. We could always repair the damage to the homes."

CPO Adderley and his team of RBDF officers arrived on Mayaguana on Wednesday. They were able to access the island and he noted that Mayaguanians have survived the ravages of Joaquin and are making the necessary adjustments to their lives as thy pick up the pieces and move on.

"In Pirate's Well, there were a few structural damages to some of the roofs and the police station has received some damage," he said. "But for the most part, the island fared fairly well. We are here to serve, so we will be doing all that we can do in our power to ensure that the residents are comfortable once again in their homes."

In the passage from the airport to the Baycaner Beach Resort in Pirate's Well, where the packages of goods will be sorted until they are distributed to the residents, the visiting team encountered some stretches of water that far exceeded the level of what they are accustomed too, come rain or shine.

Tarrue Williams, the assistant manager and cook at the Baycaner, accepted the relief packages on behalf of the people from Mayaguna and promised that it will be properly managed and distributed to the residents. "During the storm, it was frightening with all of the wind, but after the storm, we realised that we didn't have no lives lost," Mr Williams stressed.

"We had a few damages on some of the roofs, but we fared very well. We had just a few shingles, mostly felt, but I think as soon as we can get the materials in, we will be able to assist those families that have been affected."

Worey Moss, the chief mechanic at the Mayaguana Company better known as the I Group, said because of the limited amount of damage they received, it will only take about a few weeks to restore the homes affected once the flooding in certain areas has dried up and they have received the necessary building supplies.

"We really need roofing supplies," he pointed out. "About 65 to 75 per cent of the houses here have been affected, but it's nothing that we can't fix in a short period of time."

Toby Saddleton, of HeadKnowles, a group formed as a result of the storm to assist the islands in the south, said over the weekend that they have tried to reach all of the islands affected.

"We brought about 75,000 pounds of supplies to give them relief until the next set of supplies are shipped here," he said. "We have co-ordinated with the local guys like Worley Moss to calculate what is needed and we will do our very best to see that we can supply them to help in the restoration of their lives."