Author Gertrude Atherton once said that the only two good words that can be said for a hurricane are that it gives sufficient warning of its approach and that it blows from one point of the compass at a time. This year, the Caribbean has been sufficiently warned of a likely range of 13-20 named storms, 6-10 of which could become hurricanes. Hurricane Elsa was the earliest named storm on the record in the Atlantic and savagely made landfall in Barbados on July 2nd of this year.
In this article, the writer recaptures the effects of the first hurricane to lash against Barbadian shores for the first time in 67 years. In Barbados, we’re always told that any storm which comes from the South is sure to cause damage. Last time around, Hurricane Janet, who like Elsa, was the first storm to be named for the year, left about one hundred Barbadians dead, hundreds homeless, and great qualities of the island’s crops destroyed. However, while Hurricane Janet struck the island in September 1955, Hurricane Elsa occurred in July, a peculiar time of the year for such a strong hurricane.
We all know that hurricanes are some of nature’s most powerful storms. They bring with them heavy rains, flooding, and all manners of infrastructural destruction. Barbados was not spared from any of these. I spent my day in bed, reading while the light allowed, playing games with my family, and ever so often peaking outside of my window to see if any damage had been done.
The day after the storm I took it upon myself to drive around the country, only to be greeted with roofless houses, dilapidated homes, scattered crops, and electric poles in the middle of the road - some of which even forced us to turn around to find an alternative route.
Perhaps what was most disheartening were the spirits of my people, especially those who lived in the country who seemed to have suffered the most damage, yet still, encountered the most delay in having their issues resolved. Somehow the very lively and luxurious feel of the countryside was reduced to the sound of old men sweeping their yards, young men tackling untacked roofs, and old women sitting on their front porches, eyeing their surroundings with great wonder as if the site of their land after such destruction was one that they had never seen before.
Two weeks later, and many Barbadians are still trying to grapple with the sober effects of the storm. Many go without light, without water, and without homes but not many go without the strength that is sewn into the very souls of every Barbadian. Not many go without help and not many will. All, I’m sure, will find themselves back on their feet and quickly as they were thrown off them.