The Tribune

By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Chief Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

BIMINI residents were relieved yesterday to start the laborious, but bittersweet process of restoration with no casualties or injuries after hundreds were unable to evacuate before the devastation from the passage of Hurricane Irma.

Bailey Town resident Pryia Russell-Ellis, 31, told The Tribune that the wind was so large and powerful that she could see it forming and blowing outside her window in gusts that were incomparable to last year’s storm. The wind pounded homes on Bimini, she said, recounting several times when tiny bubbles of air and rain seeped in from her hurricane-proof windows.

“Last year was a joke compared to this,” Mrs Russell-Ellis, a spa owner, said. “At some point, I thought the roof would get blown off and the windows get sucked out, that’s how much gusts were coming. When you looked outside you could see the gray and white mist or smoke like clouds, but not in the form of a tornado, but it’s such a big bulk.

“When I did get frightened I went to Psalm 91. I felt the feeling (panic) that wanted to come but I controlled it because I had to stay calm. I had to think clearly in case we did have an emergency.”

In Bailey Town, Mrs Russell-Ellis said that her home is located between two bodies of water, the ocean on one side, and the bay on the other.

“The winds were howling,” she continued. “We have hurricane proof windows but we still boarded them up. It started bubbling up through the cracks and we just spray whatever was coming through with foaming spray.”

Island administrator Kate Williamson said residents were in a “working mood” after powerful wind gusts of 80mph, and other tropical storm conditions pummelled the island, downing lines and tearing at buildings and homes. Up to press time, power had only been restored to Bimini Bay.

“We had a lot of roof damage here,” said Ms Williamson. “Somebody lost their entire roof, a person’s entire roof blew off, that is traumatic. But we have no casualties, no injuries. Our priority this (Monday) morning was to make Queen’s Highway passable because that was the access to major businesses, the fuel station and ferry docks. That was our priority.

“For me, (Hurricane Irma) it was not as challenging after having experienced Joaquin in my house in Lovely Bay,” Ms Williamson continued. “That experience sustained me.

“I was more consoling persons who were in fear at the command centre in the administrator’s office.”

Ms Williamson added: “In Bimini, it’s a working mood. We will bounce back and we’re trying to help one another this is a very small island. The damage is extensive.”

On Thursday of last week, the government issued an advisory of voluntary evacuation for the island – which boasts a population of around 2,000 persons.

Ms Williamson told The Tribune that while the government was only able to evacuate about 70 persons, some 700 persons had indicated their desire to get off the island ahead of the monster storm.

“It really would have been a sad thing for me to leave and have all these people still here. We evacuated some 370 persons but the list of persons who wanted to leave was at about 700 persons. It wouldn’t look right to leave the people – my heart wouldn’t allow me to go.”

Ms Williamson said: “They were so scared. I had to constantly assure them that all would be well. But really, the whole Bahamas was cautious, if we run from Bimini, where we going? I prepared announcements and we had our communications person go through the streets with the megaphone giving updates.

“We just cleared the airport Monday so possibly today they (evacuees) will be coming back home. We are trying to be self-sufficient here in Bimini,” she added.

The tiny island was given the all-clear by the National Emergency Management Agency on Monday, initiating partial power restoration and island-wide assessments.

Up to press time, Bahamas Power and Light had not completed its assessment; however, electricity had been restored in Bimini Bay with officials expected to restore Alice Town within a few hours.

While property damage is extensive, Ms Williamson said there were no current requests for shelter, adding that all three shelters on the island, in which 96 persons sought refuge, had been cleared.

Most of the damage was sustained in the north of the island, she said.

“We have water back on in the north,” she said. “We have a lost line that connected north to south and as a result the south is out of water but the Water and Sewerage Corporation is assisting. The tanks are well protected and chlorinated. Persons with wells will wait for electricity to be restored.”

The Bahamas Telecommunications Company had restored service to 90 per cent of Alice Town, and 60 per cent of Bailey Town by 3pm yesterday, Ms Williamson said.

Philomina Rolle, a 69-year-old resident of Bailey Town, told The Tribune that she rode out the storm with her husband and 35-year-old son with lots of faith and no fear. For Ms Rolle, the wind picked up around 3am Saturday and lasted well into Sunday night.

“It was a lot of wind, gusty winds but I didn’t have any fear of it,” Ms Rolle said. “It’s a lot of damage. We’re out of electricity but that doesn’t matter because you got to learn how to be content with whatever state you’re in. As long as you have life, the other stuff doesn’t really matter.

“It was a long process with that gusty winds, some 30 hours or more. I slept, I was comfortable, I have God on my side so I didn’t focus on the hurricane. Looking out Monday, roofs are gone, trees down across the road, power lines down, poles down. But it’s so amazing there was no loss of life, God deserves all the praise,” Ms Rolle said.