The Tribune

By JADE RUSSELL

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

THREE years after Hurricane Dorian’s landfall, the storm’s survivors continue to process the trauma from the ordeal.

Deja Kemp, a resident of Freeport, said Hurricane Dorian was a frightening moment for her and her family.

Storm surge travelled quickly inside their home forcing them to evacuate and leave all their belongings behind.

She recalled the horrific experience yesterday.

“I can say one of the moments that really stood out to me is when I had to carry my five-year-old sister on my back because she was too short to tread in the water. It was very difficult to walk through the water because strong winds were gusting. After a while, we ended up seeking shelter at a home a couple houses down from me and all the neighbours were there because the house had an upstairs room where the kids could’ve stayed.”

After Dorian, she endured a lot of flashbacks and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

After the storm, things became more difficult because Ms Kemp was separated from her family for a while as her mother had moved to Nassau in the hope of creating a better life.

“I had a much more difficult time because I was left in Freeport while my mom went to Nassau temporarily for the betterment of my younger siblings. With the help and generosity of a family I ended up getting my own space. My first sign of independence (my car) was also destroyed beyond repair during the hurricane, so I had to start all over and bounce back,” she said.

Ms Kemp, like others, has mixed emotions about this week’s celebrations around Hurricane Dorian, she noted that a lot of people are still traumatised by the horrific storm.

“I honestly don’t think it’s healthy to commemorate tragedy. Because once the healing is done, going back only reopens the wounds and pain of the experience, especially for people who actually lost loved ones,” she said.

Terrece Bootle, the former administrator for North Abaco, described Hurricane Dorian as a terrifying tragedy for which no one could have prepared.

Ms Bootle along with her team gave their best efforts to prepare for the storm, however, they were met with challenges such as some people not wanting to leave their homes to stay in a shelter.

She said: “In North Abaco, we had a difficult time convincing persons from the migrant community to take refuge. So up to the evening before we had law enforcement go in encouraging them to get into one of our listed shelters. They didn’t go to the listed shelter, but during the course of the night, we got reports that they did take shelter.”

Ms Bootle explained that there were designated shelters for the hurricane, however as the storm passed over the island the level of destruction was unimaginable.

Immediately after the storm passed, Ms Bootle and her team went to assist people who were trapped in their homes.

Soon after she got word that Central Abaco had been heavily affected, she and other residents had cut through the debris in the road to make it to the other side of the island to help.

“We saw people crying, we saw people trying to get out, they were devastated. So just looking into the eyes of persons who were trying to get out and how hopeless they looked. As we drove around the thing that came to me was that Abaco has a long way to go to recover, because central Abaco, Marsh Harbour, was the centre of business for the island. The banks are there, the stores are there,” Ms Bootle said.

Ms Bootle noted that while the north side of Abaco may have not experienced the gravity of destruction as the central part did, life as they once knew it would not be the same because the heart of the island had been destroyed.

Ms Bootle, who now lives in Nassau for work, said she remains “hopeful” for the rebuilding of Abaco.

Another resident, Charmair Laroda, of Treasure Cay, Abaco, said her family decided to relocate to a local resort to weather the storm because her father thought it would be safer than their one-story home.

However, things took a quick turn as the family watched the shutters on the windows break into pieces due to heavy winds pushing through.

Ms Laroda said things became more alarming when the winds got stronger causing the furniture outside the resort to spin in circles.

During the interview, she revealed that her family decided to evacuate the resort, but became trapped because the force of the winds wouldn’t allow the door to open.

She said: “My father couldn’t get the door open, but then when he eventually got it opened the door slammed back on his finger. All you could see was blood gushing from the injury.”

Although her father was eventually able to pry the door open, the door quickly closed in again before all of the family members could evacuate.

“Only seven of us were able to get out and two were stuck inside because the door had closed again. We tried to push the door open to get the others, meanwhile the roof was caving in because of the winds. Eventually we got the door open and got them out,” Ms Laroda said.

Ms Laroda and her family were eventually able to evacuate the resort; they walked in high tides of water to a local shelter.

When asked how Hurricane Dorian affected her, Ms Laroda described it as a life-altering experience because she had to relocate to Nassau so that her daughter could finish her schooling.

Her family’s home was also destroyed. Ms Laroda explained that she still has pain from that day. Despite the challenges she faces, Ms Laroda said she is grateful for her family’s safety.