The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

ALFRED Rolle, 68, and his 88-year-old mother, Annalee, are still displaced and have received no help with home repairs four months after their house was destroyed by a horrific tornado at Imperial Park Subdivision.

Mr Rolle and his mother are staying in a small unit in the Kwan Yin apartment complex and claim they are struggling to pay rent.

Both are pensioners and do not have the means to repair the house. There is no roof and their furniture, appliances and personal belongings are destroyed.

Assessments were conducted by officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Ministry of Works, and Department of Social Services in Grand Bahama, but the government has not yet provided any assistance with home repairs to the victims in Imperial Park.

On September 10, 2017, as Hurricane Irma passed near Grand Bahama, a tornado ripped through Freeport destroying several buildings, including five homes in the Imperial Park Subdivision. Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis and several Cabinet ministers visited the tornado-damaged homes and the affected homeowners on September 14.

The Tribune went to the area last Saturday. Some of the affected homes were under repair, but appeared unsafe for occupancy and had a bright orange inspection sticker on their front doors.

The Tribune spoke with Mr Rolle and his mother at their home.

Mr Rolle, a retired hotel worker, paid off his mortgage in 2007 but did not have any home insurance. Social Services placed him and his mother at the Royal Islander Hotel for a month but told them they would eventually need to find an apartment, The Tribune was told. Mr Rolle said he got an apartment in Kwan Yin, where they are paying a monthly rent of $500.

"I have been here over 31 years, plus my van was damaged," he said. "The money we get from our old age pension is going into paying the rent."

He and his mother visit their house in Imperial Park just about every day, he said.

When The Tribune arrived, the two were sitting inside a tarp-covered van parked in the yard. A small trailer was in the yard and a pile of debris at the roadside.

According to Mr Rolle, local government officials brought the trailer to his property.

"They put 30 sheets of plywood in there and from then to now nothing else has been put in there," he said.

"I feel awful and I am depressed. Anybody would feel that way, but by now they should consider me and put a roof on, and then I could eventually refurbish the inside. The money I am spending now I could have put that towards furniture, and carpet," he said.

Mr Rolle is appealing to anyone who can help, to assist them with repairing their home.

His mother, who is blind in one eye and walks with a cane, thanked God that she survived the ordeal.

"My heart gets full whenever I come here; I hope the government will help us repair the house," she said.

This newspaper also spoke with area homeowner Tanya Ferguson, who also sustained significant damage to her house on September 10.

Ms Ferguson is now back at home, thanks to her employer and co-workers at Pharmachem Technologies who made a monetary contribution to assist her with home repairs.

It is the second time her roof was damaged - the first was during Hurricane Matthew in 2016.

Although the roof has no shingles because of lack of funds, she is happy to be home and is grateful to family members for allowing her to stay with them for three months.

Ms Ferguson was four months pregnant when the tornado tore through her home and is due to give birth in February. She returned home several weeks ago.

"Everything is back to normal pretty much, thanks to Pharmachem and my colleagues," she said.

Although Social Services officials had offered to put her up in a hotel for a month, she decided instead to stay with her sister and brother-in-law. She is also provided with a voucher for groceries up to February.

The Tribune contacted the Ministry of Works to speak with head engineer Toni Hudson Bannister, and was informed she had not received any further instructions or directions regarding home repairs in that area.

When contacted, NEMA official Tammy Mitchell referred The Tribune to the Office of the Prime Minister.

Yesterday, Minister of State for Grand Bahama Senator Kwasi Thompson said the government is aware of the unfortunate situation, particularly with respect to Mr Rolle and his mother.

He said Social Services and NEMA immediately assisted with accommodations to the tune of over $5,000, which involved hotel and apartment assistance and monthly food assistance.

Mr Thompson said the Department of Social Services will perform another assessment of the Rolles, who are also currently receiving National Insurance benefits, with a view to furthering assistance with rental accommodations for another three months.

"We expect in the coming weeks that (the) general hurricane assistance programme that was in Grand Bahama will continue, and it is expected that Mr Rolle and his mother will receive assistance with home repair," the minister said.