The Tribune

THE pace of reconstruction in Crooked Island is moving “too slow,” according to a former resident, who has urged the government to quicken its efforts to restore the hurricane-impacted island to normalcy.

Yvonne Moss, president of the group, Crooked Island Eastern Communities, recently toured the island as she delivered food, water and financial donations to more than 30 residents. She was accompanied by the group’s Assistant Treasurer Patricia Dean Carter.

The two women returned to their hometown in late March to give assistance and “show love” to those whose lives were devastated by Hurricane Joaquin last October.

Although several months have passed, Ms Moss said the island is still reeling from the effects of the storm. Roads are corroded and a portion of the island’s airport is still covered in tarp.

Ms Moss lamented that some work is being done to get the island back to normal, but said the pace is “too slow.”

“NEMA they started some work but things kind of slow,” she added.

“(There is) one area of the road that is like sand, like Goodman’s Bay, beach and sand, it is impassable to vehicles, that leads to the eastern part where I am from.”

She said the road in question is the main route to a bridge which took Crooked Island residents to a cove, where they would catch a ferry to nearby Acklins.

“To get to the bridge (in Thompson Hill) you have to pass that road which is impassable. Every other night someone calls me and says we need to put pressure on the government because they aren’t doing anything. The airport terminal still has the blue canvass on it, that’s the first thing they should have fixed.

“The people are dragging their feet,” she added.

Crooked Island was one of the hardest hit islands by Joaquin. Many residents were evacuated after the hurricane, due to severe flooding, damage to homes and structures and lack of electricity.

An estimate 836 homes throughout the southeast Bahamas were destroyed by the storm.

Last October, Prime Minister Perry Christie said based on information from the Department of Social Services, Hurricane Joaquin wiped out 413 homes in Long Island, 227 houses in San Salvador, 123 homes in Acklins, 50 houses in Crooked Island and 23 residences in Rum Cay.