Destructive Maria: “We shall survive by the grace of God!” PM of Dominica

Hurricane Maria is pictured approaching Dominica

We will need help, my friends, we will need help of all kinds.

“The winds are merciless! We shall survive by the grace of God!” Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit of the small Caribbean island nation of Dominica declared as the powerful Category 5 Hurricane Maria ravaged his country Monday night.

An hour later, the roof of his official residence was ripped away by maximum sustained winds of nearly 160 miles per hour, and he had to be rescued as his house began to flood.

STATEMENT BY PRIME MINISTER ROOSEVELT SKERRIT ON THE OUTCOME OF HURRICANE MARIA Issued via OECS Commission

Initial reports are of widespread devastation. So far we have lost all what money can buy and replace. My greatest fear for the morning is that we will wake to news of serious physical injury and possible deaths as a result of likely landslides triggered by persistent rains.

So, far the winds have swept away the roofs of almost every person I have spoken to or otherwise made contact with. The roof to my own official residence was among the first to go and this apparently triggered an avalanche of torn away roofs in the city and the countryside.

Come tomorrow morning we will hit the road, as soon as the all clear is given, in search of the injured and those trapped in the rubble.

I am honestly not preoccupied with physical damage at this time, because it is devastating…indeed, mind boggling. My focus now is in rescuing the trapped and securing medical assistance for the injured.

We will need help, my friends, we will need help of all kinds.

It is too early to speak of the condition of the air and seaports, but I suspect both will be inoperable for a few days. That is why I am eager now to solicit the support of friendly nations and organisations with helicopter services, for I personally am eager to get up and get around the country to see and determine what’s needed.”

UPDATE:
From – Hartley Henry – Principal Advisor to Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit of Dominica. “It’s 4 30am and I Just Spoke with Prime Minister Skerrit via Satellite phone. He and family are fine. Dominica is not!! Tremendous loss of Housing and Public buildings. The main general hospital took a beating. Patient care has been compromised. Many buildings serving as shelters lost roofs, which means that a very urgent need now is tarpaulins and other roofing materials.

Little contact has been made with the outer communities but persons who walked 10 and 15 miles towards the city of Roseau from various outer districts report total destruction of homes, some roadways and crops.

Urgent helicopter services are needed to take food, water and tarpaulins to outer districts for shelter. Canefield airport can accommodate helicopter landings and it is expected that from today, the waters around the main Roseau port will be calm enough to accommodate vessels bringing relief supplies and other forms of assistance. It’s difficult to determine the level of fatalities but so far seven are confirmed, as a direct result of the hurricane. That figure, the Prime Minister fears, will rise as he wades his way into the rural communities today -Wednesday. The urgent needs now are roofing materials for shelters, bedding supplies for hundreds stranded in or outside what’s left of their homes and food and water drops for residents of outlying districts inaccessible at the moment.

The tarmac at Mellville Hall was not too badly damaged so the strip should be opened in a day or two for larger relief planes to land. The Prime Minister is hoping to make contact with ABS Radio in Antigua this morning to speak directly to the outer world as to the state of Dominica and its urgent needs. The country is in a daze – no electricity, no running water -as a result of uprooted pipes in most communities and definitely to landline or cellphone services on island, and that will be for quite a while. In summary, the island has been devastated. The housing stock significantly damaged or destroyed. All available public buildings are being used as shelters; with very limited roofing materials evident. The country needs the support and continued help and prayers of all. Will update further as new information is received.”

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