Guyanese in a hurricane in St Martin

Dear Editor,
Tens of thousands of Guyanese – in Florida and the Caribbean – have been affected by Hurricane Irma and just prior to that, Hurricane Harvey – in Texas and Louisiana – were left without power, stranded where they are, properties destroyed, etc. Two Guyanese lost their lives in separate hurricanes or storm-like conditions in Florida over a decade ago.
Being in a hurricane is very frightening and dangerous because of the death and destruction it can cause. You feel miserable in a hurricane. You want to leave but are trapped, for there is no way out.
Just a few years ago, I was caught in a hurricane in St Martin where I went to do an ethnographic survey on Guyanese and other Anglo-phone Caribbean nationals residing on the island. I visited St Martin over a dozen times for vacation and as part of my electoral studies and compilation of ethnographic work on Guyanese and the Indian Diaspora – over a thousand Indian nationals are settled there and have their own temple and centres.
St Martin has over five thousand Guyanese (some say a lot more than that) working in the hotel and construction industries. Some also work in the education sector and as accountants, engineers, nurses, etc. Some also have their own small businesses. One can get traditional Guyanese food (curry dishes, roti, phulourie, etc) on the island and some guys do play cricket on weekends when off from work.
One can meet Guyanese at some bars or clubs or low cost restaurants where they regularly hang out. Overall, Guyanese have made great strides financially living a relatively high standard of living in St Martin although some occasionally got themselves in trouble with the law.
To get to Anguilla, one goes to St Martin (the French side) where one takes a boat to the smaller island; several Guyanese also work there.
Although it was in early September, in the active hurricane season, a hurricane was not predicted for St Martin. Only a storm was brewing in the waters off the Leewards and largely expected to skip St Martin. But the path of the hurricane suddenly changed and headed straight for the island. The hurricane besieged the island and made escape impossible. I tried to get out of the island before the hurricane made landfall, but flights were full and the afternoon before the hurricane (which landed in the night), all flights in and out were cancelled. So I was stuck. I lost days of teaching in New York but school administration accepted hurricane as an excuse.
As it would turn out, when the hurricane struck, most of the Dutch side – Sint Maarten, where I was holed up in a resort – was devastated and sparing most of the French side. I am now told that most of the French side has been devastated by Irma although looking at pictures it seems the entire island has been flattened.
In St Martin, there are reports of looting and widespread violence after Hurricane Irma visited. People had to be evacuated – an American navy plane flew down and brought out some Americans. Criminals were on a rampage with machetes seeking to rob tourists. The French and Dutch sent in soldiers to restore order. I experienced none of the kind of criminal activities that now befall St Martin and some of the islands.
During the hurricane I experienced, the island reported only one death, but there were major damages to buildings and infrastructure. Some 10 deaths have been reported in St Martin after Irma. One could not sleep during the hurricane I experienced. There was so much anxiety. When the hurricane came ashore, there was fear.
There was pounding torrential rain. The wind was howling. Trees were swaying. The building was shaking. Windows and doors were banging. One can hear the sounds of flying debris hitting against buildings or being tossed around on the road. One was fearful to look out in case the window gets blown off. Guests were told to stay far from glass windows and to pull the curtain to block off glass windows. I wanted the storm to quickly make its exit.
Venturing out after the hurricane, there was a lot of flooding but water receded quickly when the rain stopped mid-afternoon. Windows of buildings were blown off; some roofs peeled off. Streets littered with debris and downed coconut and other trees. Many buildings were without electricity or water.
The swimming pool was filled with sea water and sand caused by the flooding. Some boats were tossed upside down.  Many roads were impassable. The resort where I was did not have much food. The resort got a back-up generator and so power was available. It was a very busy area right next to airport with a lot of eating places but most were damaged.
I ate next door at another hotel that provided three meals daily to its guests. Several Guyanese worked there and were very helpful. The biggest challenge was the lack of communication with the outside world – no telephone or Internet service.
Fortunately, flights resumed a day later and I was able to get on a flight to JFK and back to work. St Martin was back to normalcy within a week.
After Irma, it will take months to rebuild St Martin and the other islands such as Anguilla and the BVI, Turks and Caicos, Antigua and Barbuda. We should help in whatever way we can.

Yours faithfully,
Vishnu Bisram