A FREAK storm, early Thursday morning, has left a family counting their losses after the roof of their house was completely blown off. According to owner, Rita Persaud, 50, of Lot 71, Block 1 Blairmont, West Bank Berbice, she had to scamper for safety when she learnt that her roof was being uprooted.

Persaud said that she was about to go into the bathroom when she noticed the heavy winds followed by zinc sheets flying in the air. It was until she ran inside the house and looked up that she noticed the roof of her home was being ripped out by gusty winds. “When me see them thing ah fly me want know ah who roof ah fly go way, when me do realise was abee roof ah fly go way meh get confused,” said Persaud, who escaped with minor injuries following the incident.

“I was just about to go into the bathroom when I see the breeze and then see them thing start pull out, so meh seh ah wha dis ? Meh get crazy like and couldn’t think so me run from the bathroom to go upstairs and fall down on the step. The shed was coming down from upstairs and a zinc fall top me head,” Persaud recalled.

She lives at the house with her husband; however, he was at work when the incident occurred. Late Thursday, she said her husband was trying to barrow some zinc to fix the roof so as to prevent further damage in the house if the rain continues. She was unsure if he will be able to source enough to cover the entire roof.

Some of the zinc sheets were damaged during the incident while some could not be found. She further explained that the house was recently constructed, and in addition to the losses incurred to the roof, her home appliances were also damaged.

During the freak storm which occurred at around 07:30 hours, several other houses within the Block 1 area suffered minor damage, while trees were uprooted. On May 20, in the same community of Blairmont, in Block 4, several houses were damaged as a result of heavy winds that swept through the area.