Aftermath of Maria was worse than storm – Students

Medical students from the All Saints University in Dominica are grateful to be alive after Hurricane Maria brought down ‘hell’ on the island.

Some of the 282 students and faculty who arrived on the motor vessel Liberty at Port Kingstown, just after 9 p.m. on Wednesday, spoke of the horrors they endured the night the storm hit and in the days that followed.

The students, all Nigerian, are here to continue their education at the local campus of All Saints University until the situation in Dominica improves.

They say although the hurricane was bad, the aftermath was worse, as in addition to having difficulty finding food and water, they were told by some Dominicans to go back to Nigeria.

Ugo Chukwu spoke of the exact moment on September 18 when the storm hit and everything started to get much worse.

“From some minutes past eight, I started hearing sounds and a lot of whistling, stuff hitting on my window,” he recalled, adding that he started hearing people screaming and shouting, but could do nothing to help them because the wind was so strong that it was too dangerous to go outside.

“It was hell,” he commented, “the whole thing was blowing,” adding that all he could do at that time was to start praying to God to save him.

Aluka Christian said he was in his apartment, which had a concrete roof, so the ceiling remained intact, but after about five hours, his apartment flooded with mud and water.

“It wasn’t a fun experience at all…it was a full-blown category five hurricane and it scattered everything…. I came out with one bag and I went there with a few; the storm took everything,” said Aluka, who added that this was the first time he was experiencing such destruction.

Promise Toyo, who lost most of her possessions, described her experience.

“The winds were deafening, you couldn’t hear anything but wind, and at my apartment, my roommates said that the building was shaking and they were shut in because the wind sealed the door shut.”

She said getting water and food was a struggle and the only reason people had food was because they were looting. “If you didn’t loot, you didn’t eat and it was very difficult finding good water,” Promise said, adding that eating every day was a luxury.

Miracle Eretinghen said she was in her house with her mates when the storm started and they could see everything through a glass door.

“I was terrified, one of my housemates collapsed. It was horrible. Maria was taking away roofs and trees and I could hear people shouting when their roofs went off,” recalled Miracle, whose home was flooded with water up to the knees. She said they slept in the flooded apartment and around 7 a.m. the next day, they went out and could not believe the damage.

“There was nothing to buy. Some of them (Dominicans) would threaten us and tell us we should go back to our country. You go to fetch water, they tell you go to your country to fetch water,” said Miracle.

Maurice Agu said he lost his belongings and his laptop was destroyed, and after the storm, he and his friends grouped together to survive.

“I never seen such a thing in my life before. They tried to threaten us considering that we were foreigners…life is going to be hard there for the next couple of months, and they are trying to stock up on what they have to survive … so, any foreigner, they try to loot from you and steal from you to survive, but now we are safe,” said Maurice, who has one year of studies left.

Bisola Makimwa, another student of the University, recalls walking for miles, the morning after the storm to get assistance.

“The island was destroyed in the twinkle of an eye,” commented Divine Dele, who says that he was spared his roof being blown off, unlike most of Dominica, but his house was flooded and his windows shattered.

Kari Dumdibabari said he is grateful to be in St Vincent and the Grenadines. “Life in Dominica after was hectic. You don’t have water, and sewage was busted and entered the streams and we were asked not to bathe there,” said Kari,who said it feels good to be in SVG.

The hurricane may have happened in a short space of time, but according to Chukwu, the aftermath was worse than the storm. He said it is no secret that there has been looting and after more than a week, the residents still do not have water or electricity.

“The whole country is really, really a mess”, he said gravely, adding, “The baseline is I’m grateful to get away with my life.”(KR/LC)