Tracy Richardson, 65, a resident at West End, left her concrete home for the Dove Centre shelter at the Alwyn Allison Primary School just before Hurricane Irma struck Anguilla on Wednesday, September 6, 2017.
There, she thought she would be safer with other persons, but the hurricane severely damaged the shelter. When she eventually left the Centre, she found her house intact – with not even the slightest structural damage! She was surprised because she did not bother to bar up the shutters before leaving. The only protection, still in place, was a half sheet of plywood placed over a window when a previous hurricane threatened the island but later turned away.
Here is Tracy’s story in her own words: “I lived at West End all my life and most of my children and grandchildren are in England. The others are in St. Martin/St. Maarten.
“On the eve of Hurricane Irma, my cousin, Cardigan Connor, the Elected Representative for West End, came to my house. He was to get some plywood for me and went to get it. When he returned, he came with the officers for the shelter at the Dove Centre at the Alwyn Allison School. He told me it was not safe for me to stay at my home by myself. So the officers took me to the shelter but on the way there I had to come back because I forgot my medication.
“I got my medication, pillows as well as a sheet, to cover with, and went to the shelter where I was very comfortable. There were eight of us – six men and two women, one being a Spanish lady eight months pregnant and myself, as well as the officers and the fire-fighters. I enjoyed myself because I was glad for the company and I had jokes.
“But during the passage of Hurricane Irma I couldn’t sleep at all. I was hearing the wind like it was taking off the [galvanize] roof of the Centre. It was not long before one of the officers shouted that the roof is gone so we have to go in the bathroom. So we went in the bathroom, but I was still getting wet – and I prayed to God that the hurricane would cease; and when it did cease, I was so happy and I thanked God that Hurricane Irma was over.
“In the morning, when everything was over, the officers went for two nieces to collect their uncles because the shelter was not good as the roof had gone. I was the last person at the shelter with the officers.
“When I got out of the shelter, one of the officers followed me to the road but I couldn’t walk to go to my home. It was pure poles, wires and all kind of things in the road, but I did get out when it became a little clear. A guy came down on a bicycle so I asked him to help me with my bags.
“When I reached below Foods Ninety-five, a truck came down with workers to look at Flow’s antenna at Mr. Roderick Richardson’s place. One of them asked me where I come from and I told him I came from the shelter. He asked me if I want a lift home and I said yes. I got in the truck while the workers took pictures of the antenna to take back to the boss. When they finished, I was on my way home.
“I was so happy when I reached home. When I opened the front door, the first thing that greeted me was pure mud and water in the kitchen, living room and dining room. But no damage came to my house. I was so happy that God was so good to me. I was so happy that nothing happened to my house.
“My master bedroom had water and my mattress and everything else were wet. The second and third bedrooms were as dry as pitch. So I was able to sleep in the second bedroom the first night I came out of the shelter. I thank God for spared life. Hurricane Irma did a devastating job to this country and I give God thanks and praise that I am still alive to give a testimony that we need to get closer to God in these last and closing days, because Jesus is on His way and time is running out.”
Tracy’s deceased brother formerly lived in their nearby parents’ home where, as a young girl, she experienced Hurricane Donna on September 4, 1960 which was not as severe as Irma. Hurricane Irma took off the entire roof. “Today, I don’t know whether the roof was pitched into the pond or the sea, but the house had to be pushed down and built again,” Tracy added.
