Just for posterity, here's how Hurricane Dean came and went.
Sunday 12th August: Tropical Depression 4 forms at 12N and 31W and though it's way out in the Atlantic, it is forecast to slowly strengthen and head in our direction. I do my first panic buying.
Monday 13th - Wednesday 15th: TD4 becomes Tropical Storm Dean. Given it's westerly speed (a quick 20MPH) I work out it'll pass over us Friday morning. The forecast path has it a little south of us, but it will be a hurricane by the time it reaches us.
Thursday 16th: We're now in a Hurricane Warning and people are sent home from work from the afternoon onwards. It's announced the power will be cut at midnight, and water will go from around 10pm. Otherwise, it's a normal morning in town.
Friday 17th: By 6am the winds & rain wake me. I debate staying in bed, but decide to give the house a once-over. I am freaked out to look out of the front window and see the big nutmeg trees all toppled over. I decide its time to get serious so I dress fully including raincoat, and make sure my essentials bag (camera, change of clothes, passport etc) is very close at hand.
I turn my small radio on to listen to local radio; the Roseau river is flooding, but specific facts are otherwise hard to come by.
Noted the huge drop in pressure whenever I dared open the front door to venture out.
Amazingly, the land lines are all working, but the cell service is 'Emergency Only'. I wonder how that will help.
6pm: It finally stops raining enough to think about venturing out to see what's going on in the neighbourhood. Branches down all over the road. Meet guys with chainsaws going to clear trees. See a high-tension power line down across the road a little up the hill; it could be some time before we get electricity back. Word is there are landslides below the village.
Saturday 18th: Grey, overcast, but generally dry. I take my first drive out of the village. Pass some small landslides that have been cleared. The breadfruit trees along the road are decimated. Stunned to see evidence of how high the Roseau river had been. The 7-11 shows bare sports on the shelves where the Crix and muesli had been. Town otherwise calm, electricity has been restored at least in the Roseau area.
In the garden, most of the fruits - avocados, grapefruit - have been blown off the trees.
Tuesday: Water comes back on. A proper shower, even if cold, is a treat!
Wednesday evening: the power is back! Astounded to turn on the TV and find Marpin bright & clear! I celebrate with a cold can of Guinness.
Final stats:
Sadly, two people died on Friday
Max winds in Roseau: 78MPH
My rain gauge overfilled, so it was 120mm+
Damage: $EC90 million.
Many thanks for all the support!
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