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| Dominica's prime minister charts 'merciless' Hurricane Maria on social media | Dominica's prime minister charts 'merciless' Hurricane Maria on social media |
| (4 months later) | |
| Roosevelt Skerrit relayed the destruction of his home to followers on Facebook as storm lays waste to Caribbean island | |
| Helen Davidson | |
| Tue 19 Sep 2017 05.27 BST | |
| Last modified on Tue 26 Sep 2017 14.25 BST | |
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| The prime minister of Dominica has used Facebook to describe in harrowing detail – and in real time – his own rescue from the destruction of Hurricane Maria. | The prime minister of Dominica has used Facebook to describe in harrowing detail – and in real time – his own rescue from the destruction of Hurricane Maria. |
| The category five storm passed directly over the island nation of Dominica on Monday night local time. Amid gusts of wind up to 260kmh (160mph) the country’s long-serving leader, Roosevelt Skerrit, rode out the storm from his home. | The category five storm passed directly over the island nation of Dominica on Monday night local time. Amid gusts of wind up to 260kmh (160mph) the country’s long-serving leader, Roosevelt Skerrit, rode out the storm from his home. |
| “The winds are merciless!” wrote 45-year-old Skerrit on Facebook. “We shall survive by the grace of God!” | “The winds are merciless!” wrote 45-year-old Skerrit on Facebook. “We shall survive by the grace of God!” |
| An hour later as the winds increased he wrote: “We do not know what is happening outside. We not dare look out. All we are hearing is the sound of galvanize [roofing] flying. The sound of the fury of the wind. As we pray for its end!” | An hour later as the winds increased he wrote: “We do not know what is happening outside. We not dare look out. All we are hearing is the sound of galvanize [roofing] flying. The sound of the fury of the wind. As we pray for its end!” |
| Skerrit said he believed his house had sustained damaged, exclaiming: “Rough! Rough! Rough!” | Skerrit said he believed his house had sustained damaged, exclaiming: “Rough! Rough! Rough!” |
| He then confirmed it. | He then confirmed it. |
| “My roof is gone. I am at the complete mercy of the hurricane. House is flooding.” | “My roof is gone. I am at the complete mercy of the hurricane. House is flooding.” |
| Roosevelt later told his friends and followers: “I have been rescued.” | Roosevelt later told his friends and followers: “I have been rescued.” |
| In a subsequent post he said he feared news of death and injury from the storm and possible land slides. | In a subsequent post he said he feared news of death and injury from the storm and possible land slides. |
| “So far the winds have swept away the roofs of almost every person I have spoken to or otherwise made contact with,” he said. | “So far the winds have swept away the roofs of almost every person I have spoken to or otherwise made contact with,” he said. |
| “The roof to my own official residence was among the first to go and apparently this triggered an avalanche of torn away roofs in the city and in the countryside.” | “The roof to my own official residence was among the first to go and apparently this triggered an avalanche of torn away roofs in the city and in the countryside.” |
| He said while the physical damage in Dominica was devastating and “mind boggling” he was focused on rescuing people trapped in the rubble and securing medical care for the injured. | He said while the physical damage in Dominica was devastating and “mind boggling” he was focused on rescuing people trapped in the rubble and securing medical care for the injured. |
| He intended to tour the region by helicopter in coming days, and indicated he was seeking assistance to do so from foreign governments. He suspected air and sea ports were inoperable. | He intended to tour the region by helicopter in coming days, and indicated he was seeking assistance to do so from foreign governments. He suspected air and sea ports were inoperable. |
| Hundreds posted their good wishes. | Hundreds posted their good wishes. |
| “We pray for God’s blessings on you and your family and your country,” said Suruj Rambachan, former foreign affairs minister for Trinidad & Tobago. | “We pray for God’s blessings on you and your family and your country,” said Suruj Rambachan, former foreign affairs minister for Trinidad & Tobago. |
| Some feared for the homes of others if the prime minister’s residence could be destroyed. | Some feared for the homes of others if the prime minister’s residence could be destroyed. |
| Anthony Astaphan, a lawyer based in the former British colony, told the Observer Media Group the wind was “savage”. | Anthony Astaphan, a lawyer based in the former British colony, told the Observer Media Group the wind was “savage”. |
| “We lost the roof. My total upstairs, the ceiling and everything collapsed. I have two inches of water downstairs,” he said. | “We lost the roof. My total upstairs, the ceiling and everything collapsed. I have two inches of water downstairs,” he said. |
| “My god, I can only feel the pain of those who don’t have the house that I have. It was terrible and I just hope people didn’t die.” | “My god, I can only feel the pain of those who don’t have the house that I have. It was terrible and I just hope people didn’t die.” |
| Skerrit told Telesur TV he had been rescued by police. He said his country had been “devastated”. | Skerrit told Telesur TV he had been rescued by police. He said his country had been “devastated”. |
| “We do not know how many dead if any. We were brutalized by the Hurricane Maria.” | “We do not know how many dead if any. We were brutalized by the Hurricane Maria.” |
| Police official, inspector Pellam Jno Baptiste, told Associated Press he had no immediate reports of casualties but it was still too dangerous for officers to go outside. | Police official, inspector Pellam Jno Baptiste, told Associated Press he had no immediate reports of casualties but it was still too dangerous for officers to go outside. |
| “Where we are, we can’t move,” he said. | “Where we are, we can’t move,” he said. |
| Eye, dead center, over #Dominica #Maria #Cat5 pic.twitter.com/2tm3K9x08m | Eye, dead center, over #Dominica #Maria #Cat5 pic.twitter.com/2tm3K9x08m |
| Maria, which intensified from a category one storm in less than a day, is the strongest storm on record to hit Dominica. Category four hurricane David hit the island in 1979, killing 56 people and rendering three-quarters of the population homeless. | Maria, which intensified from a category one storm in less than a day, is the strongest storm on record to hit Dominica. Category four hurricane David hit the island in 1979, killing 56 people and rendering three-quarters of the population homeless. |
| Two years ago 31 people were killed and more than 360 homes destroyed by tropical storm Erika. In the aftermath of Erika, Skerrit said the damage could set the country back by decades. | Two years ago 31 people were killed and more than 360 homes destroyed by tropical storm Erika. In the aftermath of Erika, Skerrit said the damage could set the country back by decades. |
| This bridge on #Dominica was destroyed 2 yrs ago by T.S. Erika. Can't imagine the fury of a Cat 5 on this beautiful place. pic.twitter.com/4CQSBwXZ23 | This bridge on #Dominica was destroyed 2 yrs ago by T.S. Erika. Can't imagine the fury of a Cat 5 on this beautiful place. pic.twitter.com/4CQSBwXZ23 |
| A young woman who appeared to also be in Dominica, tweeted she had never experienced anything like the sounds of Maria. | A young woman who appeared to also be in Dominica, tweeted she had never experienced anything like the sounds of Maria. |
| Sounds like an airplane is taking off above me and at the same time waves are crashing against my door right now. Plus the lightning. | Sounds like an airplane is taking off above me and at the same time waves are crashing against my door right now. Plus the lightning. |
| River in #Dominica from early this afternoon, hours before #Maria made landfall. Have been told some are trying to move higher.@LukeDorris pic.twitter.com/TCOtSzWQSC | River in #Dominica from early this afternoon, hours before #Maria made landfall. Have been told some are trying to move higher.@LukeDorris pic.twitter.com/TCOtSzWQSC |
| When Hurricane Irma decimated Caribbean islands two weeks ago communication lines were knocked out and it was some time before news of the damage and destruction reached the outside world. A number of overseas territories controlled by the UK, US, France, and the Netherlands were among the countries hit, and the initial response from those countries - and the wider international community - was criticised. | When Hurricane Irma decimated Caribbean islands two weeks ago communication lines were knocked out and it was some time before news of the damage and destruction reached the outside world. A number of overseas territories controlled by the UK, US, France, and the Netherlands were among the countries hit, and the initial response from those countries - and the wider international community - was criticised. |
| With Dominica, Guadeloupe, Montserrat, St Kitts & Nevis, US Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Culebra and Vieques subject to the latest hurricane warning, many are already urging people to get behind the Caribbean region and assist with the task of recovery. | With Dominica, Guadeloupe, Montserrat, St Kitts & Nevis, US Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Culebra and Vieques subject to the latest hurricane warning, many are already urging people to get behind the Caribbean region and assist with the task of recovery. |
| Hurricane Maria | |
| Hurricane Irma | |
| Natural disasters and extreme weather | |
| Americas | |
| Caribbean | |
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