‘As I passed, folks were rebuilding their houses and fishing boats.’

Cooking up post-storm: Wendy Oliver visits Grand Bahama

Back in January – an eon ago now – I was in Grand Bahama volunteering with relief efforts post Hurricane Dorian. Dorian is no longer newsworthy, but it still affects daily life. The stories I heard changed my perception of disaster, chaos and suffering.

Last summer, Dorian levelled parts of Grand Bahama and Abaco. Pine forests were demolished, rendering animal life homeless. Additional twenty-foot surges caused untold damage to the aquifer, resulting in lack of potable water. The consensus was, however, that people became more friendly, possibly when shops opened and some vestige of normality returned. Long queues helped to rebuild community even amid huge food price rises.

World Central Kitchen (WCK) is a brilliant disaster-relief operation. I helped pack and distribute 6,000 healthy meals daily, a merciful reduction from the 27,000 WCK served immediately post Dorian.

On the south-east coast palm trees were bent, twisted, snapped and dead; some areas of scrub palms were rejuvenating, while other areas were devoid of vegetation. There was random damage: a gutted library, houses with only walls left, piles of family memories now detritus, houses flattened like cardboard boxes, an oil storage facility which left a legacy of spilled oil, and poignant items such as a child’s backpack. Temporary phone towers had been towed into damaged areas. As I passed, folks were rebuilding their houses and fishing boats. We served food in cardboard boxes, and encouraged community by asking folks to have their lunch at the church.

There is inspiration to be found in disaster. We heard stories of fear, relief, compassion and heroism in equal measure. Katrina drove her family against the fury of the hurricane to safety. Cheryl’s neighbours stayed in their house, perching on the roof for thirty-six hours; they said their goodbyes but were rescued just in time. Monique told us there had been a socially-levelling effect of everyone needing water and having to wait in queues. Helen and Latoya had both lost houses. Wayne didn’t know for two days if his brother was still alive; when they finally spoke on the phone, both broke down. He had suffered damage to his greenhouses and tilapia ponds; since he is now the only farmer with a working vegetable farm, he has received grants from WCK to rebuild and reseed. Bunksey told us of a father securing his whole family to a tree, in the unthinkable event that they would either all survive or all perish. Erika is concerned about the bird population. Brian took us on a tour of canals: we saw plenty of wrecks. Marsha had guilt feelings about not suffering damage so came to help at WCK, working twelve-hour shifts.

Having heard so many stories, and witnessed rebuilding, rejuvenation and generosity, I am reminded that we are called to share, witness, duplicate, participate in and be inspired by such examples of triumph over adversity and love in action.

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