Heavy winds early yesterday morning left several persons in West Berbice without shelter, millions of dollars in losses and at least two persons suffering injuries.
Lexford Henry, 46, of Paradise Village and Beverly Arthur of No 5 Village both suffered injuries to their backs and had to be treated at the Fort Wellington Hospital.
When Stabroek News visited the village of Paradise yesterday morning Henry was sitting on top of his flattened house in disbelief. His relatives were also there offering support.
The squall had knocked his two-bedroom house completely knocked off its pillars. It was covered by the roof on the ground. The items in the house were also destroyed and thrown into the water that flooded his yard.
He told this newspaper that around 4:30 am he was fast asleep but was awakened by the heavy winds. “After that was blap! And the house fall down.” He was still in his bed when the roof pinned him and “I fighting to help myself.”
He was shocked at the destruction given that the house was only built two years ago. He estimated his losses to be about $1.6 M.
Beverly Arthur was not back from the hospital as yet when this newspaper visited the remains of her No 5 Village home.
Her husband, Noel Arthur, 42 was emotional as he spoke of his losses and displayed the severe damaged they had suffered.
He said that the heavy winds did not cause the destruction but actually a vacant house next door collapsed and fell onto his building.
His house was also knocked off its pillars and was completed twisted. His furniture, ornaments and other items had crashed down, creating a total mess. Broken glasses were also scattered in the house.
He said he noticed when the other house was falling towards his but he couldn’t do anything to prevent it from falling. “All I hear was bladam! Blam! And me whole house on the ground.”
Beverly was at the time trying to turn off the lamp when a section of their house struck her.
Noel was thankful that his children, who by then were rudely awakened by the loud noise, were able to escape unhurt.
Back at Paradise, Shawn Alleyne, 43, and his wife, Vanessa Alleyne could not come to grips with the losses they suffered. Ten members of the two-family household are now homeless.
The roof from the nearby pavilion at the community centre ground flew off and landed on their house. Items in the house also fell and broke. Vanessa told this newspaper that after it started to rain she got up to “close the window and after that the breeze started and I told my husband ‘look fire on the [electrical] wire’.”
Just after that the wires were cut and the fire stopped and the couple went back to bed only to be disturbed by the loud crashing sound.
Vanessa recalled: “All I hear was bladam! We got up and ran to the door but the door lock off.”
Shawn said their grandchildren were “hollering from upstairs to open their door. My son fight until he got the door to open” and they all ran out to safety.
He feels that the house was saved from collapsing completely because of the enclosed bottom flat and was thankful to God for that.
Over at Golden Fleece a house belonging to Shenny Baseo was also destroyed. Her brother, Rajendra was the only person occupying the house but luckily he was not at home at the time.
Her mother, Desiree Baseo who lives nearby said she got up early to cook when she learnt “the house fall down.”
Sixty-seven-year-old Osquith Harry of Belladrum also suffered losses when his two-bedroom house was knocked off its pillars.
He was lying in bed when he heard the heavy wind and thunder. He recalled that the “house just gave three shakes and then fall to the ground.” He said he did not panic but sat up in bed wondering what would happen next.
Next door, his neighbour, Julian David was distressed that his cash crop farm was under two feet of water. The water had started to recede slightly but he was still afraid that he would lose his crop of callaloo, ochro, boulanger and other produce.
He said he along with other farmers had asked the officials of the MMA to install self-acting tubes in the area about five years ago and they were still waiting on them to fulfil their promises.
Meanwhile, heavy winds also ripped off zinc sheets from a few houses at Bush Lot. The “overtopping” also caused flooding to sections of D’ Edward Village and Blairmont Settlement.
