STRONG WINDS and heavy rains destroyed one house and partially damaged the roofs of two others in St Philip yesterday.
Meteorologist Clairmonte Williams said the bad weather was caused by “an area of showers and thunderstorms that was feeding into Hurricane Igor, which is presently to the north of the island”. He added: “It is what we call a feeder band into Hurricane Igor. There were some embedded showers . . . that moved across the island.”
The strong winds left Lolita Watson, of Rock Hall, St Philip, homeless after a nearby tree was uprooted and fell onto the house which she occupied with her boyfriend David Brathwaite.
As she stared at the damaged house, Watson told the SATURDAY SUN that “this is the third time something like this happen to me”.
“I went to the shop and a police officer come and tell me that a tree fall on my house. I was more than shocked! I couldn’t believe it . . . I went through two house fires already in life. I don’t know what is going to happen now. Right now I have a lot of problems going on in my life. I can go by my family and stay, but my boyfriend don’t have anywhere to go. His family will not take him in and he suffers from seizures,” said a distraught Watson.
Hours after the winds subsided, a family of eight over in Harlington, in the same parish, were “still trying to figure out what to do” after the roof of their rented house was partially damaged. Occupant Kashara Springer, who was preparing for work when the incident occurred, said she was sad but “glad nobody was outside, ’cause those galvanise were out there flying ’bout.”
“I was bathing and I hear this loud noise for a good while. When I jump out the bath, I see the roof flying going off. Then the rain started coming into the house. All of my mother’s [Linda Springer] chairs and things in the front house get wet. It was a good thing nobody was in that front house ’cause all the wood from the roof fall in the house. It was so bad that when my big brother went to try to hold the roof from falling in anymore, he almost get blow way.”
The roof of the house of Carl Weekes, who lives with his 93-year-old father Chester Weekes, also suffered some damage. Carl said he was grateful that nobody was harmed, adding: “The only time we would see the wind do so bad is when there is a hurricane. That wind was wild!”
He recalled: “I was in the back of the house doing something and the rain was falling. Then the wind started blowing very high. Then I see the roof at the front of the house up. My old man, who is bedridden, was right in the bedroom where the roof raise up and the rain was pouring on him.
“So me and my brother had to rush to get we father out of that room. The house rotten so we can’t even say to try to nail down the roof. So right now I don’t even know what is going to happen . . . This house rotten.”
