Neighbour offers shelter

Strong winds from Hurricane Elsa lifted the roof off 74-year-old Carmen Phillips’ Thyme Bottom, Christ Church house in the wee hours of the morning, leaving her scared and staring at the sky for some time before being rescued.

Hours after the hurricane had moved on leaving widespread damage across the island, a shaken Phillips told members of the media it was difficult to watch the heavy downpour flood her uninsured five-bedroom home where she has lived from the time she was nine.

Phillips said: “In there is like a river, anything would get soaked. All of my clothes are wet and dirty so I am hoping that some sun would come so that I could get them washed.”

She recalled that she was resting comfortably in the warmth of her bed around 3 a.m. listening to updates about the weather system on the radio, when the incident happened.

“At first there wasn’t no wind or nothing, it was just nice and calm. Then all of a sudden I hear the wind start blowing up and I said ‘wait, something like it really happening now’.

“So then I get up and then the roof of my bedroom came off and then all of it went right off.”

Phillips added: “I was scared and I didn’t know where to stand and I tried to stand between a wall. And then my neighbour had a guy there and she sent him for me. I was up there with her today and I eat at her and everything. I had a lot of things in plastic bags and I took them and I carried them by her because as I tell you in there is like a river.”

She said on Thursday night she was busy preparing for the approaching weather system and that process included securing important documents.

Phillips, who said she would be able to stay at her neighbour’s home temporarily, noted that she has to make decisions about her future living arrangements.
(anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb)