100 days after Hurricane Ivan and... what next?
Friday, December 17, 2004
Cayman Net News set out to discover exactly how residents were feeling and thinking about their lives now that the milestone of 100 days has almost been reached since Hurricane Ivan struck its devastating blow to the island of Grand Cayman on 11 September.
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Derek Tyler |
“Exhausted is how I feel. After spending the month after the hurricane living in total paranoia – fearing the worst every day – my wife threatened to send me away to stay with our son so she could get on with what needed to done. With that, I gradually got on my feet and moved to total exhaustion from having to expend so much energy undoing what Ivan had done. Right now I feel that I have expended so much energy that I have none left to do the usual Christmas preparations. I have not even sent Christmas cards this year. As well, it still depresses me to see the absence of trees.
that is really depressing.” |
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Virginia Berry |
“I am feeling a lot better now than I did then. In Bodden Town I was very badly hit by the hurricane but things are looking up now. We have to understand that things will take time to return to normal and that it will take a very long time for things to be back a hundred percent. But we must trust in the Lord and wait. One of my granddaughters had to go off to Orlando for school but my other grandchildren are here. They were out of school for a while but are back there now. To me things are showing signs of progress even though some things are moving very slowly.” |
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Eddie Solomon |
“After yesterday’s earthquake I still look back at Ivan and think that God is trying to talk to us here in Cayman. I feel positive that things will get back together even though I know it is going to take a lot more time. I live in Savannah and my home was not badly hit. I sent the kids away for October while they waited on school to re-open. But even now, the children are still referring to the hurricane – especially after last night’s earthquake when they asked me “Dad, what’s going to happen next?” I jokingly told them, that we’ll probably see snow here next.” |
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Jennifer Godfrey |
“Frustrated, exhausted but thankful is how I feel. I am mostly exhausted and very thankful. I live in South Sound and formerly people would say “How nice” and now they say “Oh no.” I did not even contemplate leaving the Island. This is my home and I resolved to fight to restore it. My daughter and my grandbabies left but I knew from the first day after the hurricane that I would remain throughout. I see things are getting back together and that is a positive sign. For me, the progress around carries a great deal of hope for the future.” |
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Carlos Gonzales |
“I am very uneasy - very, very uneasy. I spend all the time when I am not working looking for a place to rent but I cannot find any and that is a big problem for me. Things are just not moving fast enough in the area of housing. I am happy that there are improvements in other areas and those are very good. But housing is the biggest problem on my mind and it worries me greatly. Because I cannot find a place to rent I am worried that when my permit comes up for renewal I will be refused the permit because I have no permanent address.” |
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Connie Ann Redden |
“I am so very frustrated because I am still waiting for stuff like new beds, a dresser and other things. I lost everything except some of my clothes and I am not hopeful for a change in my situation any time soon. I keep hearing that the furniture is delayed and in the meantime I am frustrated. With things as they are, I live everyday with the reminder of the Hurricane. It is never far away from my thoughts and I don’t feel comfortable or happy.” |
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