Residents recall destruction caused by other hurricanes

Adrian Frater, News Editor

Western Bureau:

While Hurricane Sandy was quite kind, leaving residents with a huge fishing bonanza, hurricanes have generally not been kind to the Whitehouse Fishing Village in St James, as dating back to the 1951 devastation by Hurricane Charlie, the community has had many horrifying experiences.

"I am happy that Hurricane Sandy did not hurt us as bad as some of the hurricanes we have experienced in the past," said 74-year-old Tom Gibbs, who has experienced all the hurricanes that have affected the area since 1951. "Many times, we have had to evacuate the area because of the flooding caused by storm surge."

Twenty-one years after the frightening Hurricane Charlie experience, the Whitehouse community experienced yet another devastating hurricane. This time around it was Hurricane Allen, which hit the island on July 31, 1972, leaving a trail of destruction in the seaside fishing village, which is neighbour to the Sangster International Airport.

"The community was badly damaged and a section was completed flooded out," recalled Gibbs. "It was not a pleasant experience for the community as many residents had to be evacuated."

The records of the Hurricane Allen experience gave the following account: "Whitehouse was severely damaged and parts of the community flooded. Rylan Cuville's house is taken by the rising tides out to the section called 'The Bar''. Residents are forced to evacuate the community and are housed at both Cornwall College and Trinity Church."

BAD MEMORIES

Like most of Jamaica, Hurricane Gilbert in 1988 made an indelible mark on the Whitehouse, leaving enough bad memories for some residents to have a dreadful fear of hurricanes.

Whitehouse experienced devastation on a scale never seen before. Most of the residents lost their roofs, and fisherfolk suffered major losses of fishing equipment, including boats. Scores of residents were temporarily relocated to Flanker's All-Age School. In their absence, thieves looted many homes, taking what the hurricane had not damaged.

"Because of that experience in Gilbert, many persons are now reluctant to leave their homes when a storm is approaching because they fear what thieves might do to them," said Gibbs.

In the last two hurricanes to affect the island prior to Hurricane Sandy, Hurricane Ivan in 2004 and Hurricane Dean in 2007, Whitehouse escaped unscathed.

"We are glad that God has spared us this time around, and we are hoping that we will not see anything like Charlie, Allen, or Gilbert again," said Gibbs.