–at prospect of riding out Hurricane Maria, so soon after Irma

By Alexis Rodney

DAYS after being ravaged by the Category Five hurricane, Irma, another major storm is set to bear down yet again on some hapless Caribbean territories.
But Guyanese living in the British Virgin Islands (BVI), which is expected to feel the wrath the Category Three fiend named Maria, this week said the British territory is not prepared for a second bout of such devastation.
Many say they have already been displaced by Hurricane Irma, and are still in the process of seeking the assistance of the Guyana Government on the way forward. Some are exploring the possibility of returning home, but for those who intend to remain, and had already begun picking up the pieces, they are unsure of the level of further devastation the hurricane would bring to the country.
The Guyana Chronicle spoke with a few of those persons on Monday. Teon Carter said he has been living on “the islands” for just about two years, and that while many Guyanese have already expressed their intention of returning home, he is disappointed that a few officials who met with them mid last week sought to influence them to “remain and rebuild.”
“People want to go home back,” Carter said. “I don’t think it was fair for them to try to influence them to stay.”
Meanwhile, though much weaker than her predecessor, Irma, Hurricane Maria is still causing a significant amount of distress among Guyanese who said they have already lost so much.
“I don’t think we can handle another hurricane, back-to-back. We just came out of one, and are now rebuilding,” one Guyanese living in the British territory said.
Describing the devastation wrought by Irma, one man who asked not to be named said almost 50 per cent of the islands’ inhabitants have lost their homes.

NOT AGAIN!
These include about 20 Guyanese families that he knows personally. “Everybody has a different story to tell. People have lost so much, we cannot deal with another hurricane,” he said.
“I don’t think the country can handle a second hurricane just after Hurricane Irma,” another man said.
“About 80 per cent of the islands have been destroyed; some areas worse than others. It is 95 miles per hour, half of what Irma was, but it is still dangerous.”
Hurricane Maria is forecast to rapidly gain strength over the next two days as it takes aim at the Caribbean.
The storm is expected to be a major hurricane when it hits the Leeward Islands over the next few days, intensifying to a Category 4 hurricane in 48 hours, according to the National Hurricane Center’s latest update.
As of Sunday at 11 p.m. ET, Maria was about 100 miles (165 kilometres) north-east of Barbados, and about 210 miles (340 kilometres) east-southeast of Dominica, the center said. It had strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane, packing winds of 85 mph, and is forecast to continue moving towards the Eastern Caribbean at 13 mph.
Maria is one of three storms churning in the Atlantic Ocean, but it poses the most danger to the hurricane-battered Caribbean.
Maria has prompted a hurricane warning for Martinique, Guadeloupe, Dominica, St. Kitts, Nevis and Montserrat. A tropical storm warning is in effect for Antigua and Barbuda, Saba, St. Eustatius and St. Lucia.
A warning is typically issued 36 hours before the anticipated first occurrence of tropical storm-force winds. The warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected within 36 hours.
A hurricane watch is in effect for the U.S. Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands, St. Maarten/St. Martin, St. Barthelemy and Anguilla — many of which were devastated when Irma blew through the Caribbean, killing 44 people. A hurricane watch is typically issued 48 hours before the anticipated first occurrence of tropical-storm-force winds.

SATURDAY’S MEETING
Speaking of the meeting on Saturday between Guyana’s Minister of Citizenship Mr Winston Felix and Guyanese living in the BVI, Carter said the government has commenced a process of selecting persons who have indicated that they want to return home. A list of names has been generated, especially for those individuals whose children were not born in Guyana and are unable to attend school at this time.
Meanwhile, the Government of Guyana, through the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) and the Disaster Risk Reduction Platform, has set up a CDC IRMA RECOVERY FUND at the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI) and Republic Bank Limited (RBL) to raise funds to further assist Guyanese who are suffering as a result of Irma.
The government has already contributed US$100,000 to the fund, and is continuing to spearhead efforts to take the much-needed items to the islands.
Contributions can be made to the IRMA RECOVERY FUND GBTI account number: 011802489012; or IRMA RECOVERY FUND REPUBLIC BANK account number: 651-993-8