Storm wreaks havoc — leaves No.19 Village homes without roofs, millions in losses
A house without roof after the storm
A house without roof after the storm

By Nafeeza Yahya

HEAVY winds accompanied by rain on Sunday morning ripped through homes at Number 19 Village on the Corentyne Coast, leaving a trail of destruction and millions of dollars in losses in their aftermath.According to residents, the storm damaged about 20 houses on the northern side of the public road in an ordeal that lasted no more than 10 minutes.

The shed belonging to the Barafs that was destroyed by the storm
The shed belonging to the Barafs that was destroyed by the storm

The storm had residents scampering for shelter with some thinking the world was coming to an end, while many others thought it was bandits trying to gain entry into their homes.

When this newspaper visited the scene, zinc sheets, branches and other
debris littered the street as workers were busy trying to mend the broken roofs.
Several sofas and mattresses were placed in the open to dry.

Alimudeen Gobin, whose house was toppled, said he was not at home at the time the storm passed.
He is counting his blessings amid his losses, pointing out that if he were at home, he would have probably been seriously injured or dead.
“Me nah been home, but if me ben deh me would a dead because the roof
fall down when the house topple and land straight on me bed,” he told the Guyana Chronicle.

Gobin, a cane harvester, related that when he arrived home to get ready

The damage done to the interior of the Khalils home by the storm
The damage done to the interior of the Khalils home by the storm

for work at around 04:30hrs, he was shocked to meet his house completely destroyed and on its sides.
He was unaware of what had happened until he also saw the other houses nearby were also severely damaged.

Nizam Khalil, 50, said the experience was the worst of his life as he felt as if he was in a battlefield in Iraq.

“The rain was falling and then suddenly there was a loud bang then, it sounded like a million big fire crackers started going off Bang! Bang! Bang ! All at the same time! I jumped up from bed and run in the hall and I see the ceiling caving in and I freeze. My daughter come and I hugged she, I started to feel rain drops and when I watch up I see the roof gone. We move to the back room and I just hugged me daughter and stayed there until everything stopped… I tell you it was the worst
experience in me entire 50 year life. I feel like I was in Iraq in the middle of the war how this thing sounding, loud and vibrating.”

Workers fix the roof of a house after the storm had passed
Workers fix the roof of a house after the storm had passed

Khalil was not able to assess his losses fully, but estimated it will be over $1.5M since a lot of his electronic appliances were damaged due to the rain.

“I had a shed that I recently build that cost me $400,000, me nah know
where the shed is. I can’t find the zinc nor the rafters – nothing — the
only thing I see is one post that still standing… I was able to find
back some materials for the roof and a few fuh the ceiling. Me 55 inch
TV, 2 desktop computers and a laptop all soak with water,” he told this publication.
Khatoon Bassurdeen, 72, who lives a street away from the Khalils, said when she felt the vibration and saw her roof being ripped off, she jumped out of bed and began pray since she thought the world was about to end.

“When me hear the heavy thunder and vibration and the roof fly off, I
jump out ah bed in me nightie and start fuh prostrate and pray to God,
because me think the world a guh end; how me prostrate so long me knee
all bruise up… me stay and prayed until everything quiet down then me
get up and thank God fuh saving me life.”

A fence lost a few staves after a coconut tree broken by the storm fell on it
A fence lost a few staves after a coconut tree broken by the storm fell on it

Bassurdeen in tears said the experience was nothing like she ever experienced in her life and does not wish to go through it ever again.

“Me just turn 72 yesterday and it did better God been tek me life in
me sleep than fuh me experience that last night… me nah find me tennie
fuh guh because blackout come and all light cut off me think me been
ah guh dead. Me grandson Vikey who live next door  run under a bed and
hide, so me holler tell am fuh come over . Me ah wan pensioner me nah
know how me roof guh fix.”

Across from her home, the entire street was blocked up with the remains
of a huge shed and parts of coconut trees.
The shed belongs to the Barafs and was said to have cost approximately $2.5M to build. The family made the shed to accommodate their combines, trucks and other equipment that they use to harvest rice.

According to Mrs Baraf, when the ‘terror’ started, she thought it
was bandits at first and clutched her family and moved to safety in a
secured area in the home, and after calm was restored, they came out to
see what had happened.
She said she was shocked to see the shed in the middle of the street and immediately called out to neighbours to ensure they were safe.

“We came out and see the shed in the middle of the street, my first
thought was it fell on any of the neighbours’ house so we got flashlights and called out to make sure everyone was ok. We did not go back to sleep and when it got bright, we realised all four coconut trees broke off and fell into the street.  The entire shed collapsed on the combines and fence, but luckily no one was hurt.”

The storm left many houses without roofs and their interior destroyed.
Residents told this publication that they are thankful that no one was seriously hurt and are asking for assistance to rebuild their homes.

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