Island Economy Left in Ruins

Mon, Aug 29th 2011, 12:35 PM

Cat Island Entrepreneurs on Cat Island are picking up the pieces in the wake of Hurricane Irene, with some business owners saying the disaster has dealt a crippling blow to an already fragile economy.

Driving down a narrow street, Julian Russell, the owner of a local restaurant known as The Smoke Pot, narrowly avoids boulders, hacked trees and downed power lines that clog the island's only paved thoroughfare. The side road leading to his restaurant is completely blocked by debris, although even when it's cleared, he doesn't expect customers anytime soon. "The whole island is cut off from power," he said.

"We don't know when the power will come back.  The island was already slow.  The economy is bad and we've had a brain drain here on the island where too many
people move to Nassau.  This is really going to hurt us."

As big businesses and marquee resorts in New Providence nurse their wounds, smaller hotels, restaurants and shops on the Family Islands, equally dependent on tourism, are now struggling to survive. Cat Island bore the brunt of Hurricane Irene when it passed through as a category 3 last Wednesday. Violent winds tore the roofs off homes, great surges guttered the interiors and possessions were swept out to sea. For Evelyn Burrows, the owner of Perriwinkles, a bar, restaurant and clothing store, restoration of her business will have to wait.

First, she needs a roof over her head. "I have to start on my house, because part of the roof is gone and there is only one dry room," she said.

"And then I'll get to my business.  I have seen many storms, but this was worse.  The winds were bad, and it seemed like it would never finish.  It went on for a very long time.  I was born here and I've never seen anything like this. "Sitting on a crate outside her shop, Burrows is still willing to sell customers a drink, if they don't mind that it's warm. "You can't do business without power," she added.

Burrows points to the roof where whole sections have been blown off.  The storm shutters she latched onto the windows have ripped right from the wall.  Inside, around the bar, furniture, garbage and seaweed are clumped together in a damp, moldy mess. She also lost all of her merchandise in the clothing store.

After repairing the house, this entrepreneur plans to start over again, although she doesn't know where the money will come from. "The damage is bad, but material things can be replaced over time," she said.  "I m thankful there has been no loss of life, I was born here and I wouldn't trade it for anything."

Despite the hardship, this extraordinary optimism and resilience could be found throughout the business community. The manager of Sammy T's Beach Resort, Jason Cartwright, said many of the hotel rooms are damaged.  Doors caved in, shutters and shingles flew off into the ocean and the roof in the lobby is leaking. "But overall I'd say we got off easy," he said. "Now we're making sure everyone else on the island is OK."

Cartwright steps out of his truck to visit an employee's home, or what's left of it.  The front yard is a minefield of rocks, tree limbs and power lines.  Heading to the back of the house, the area where the kitchen used to be is now an empty, gaping hole. "She works as the head maid at Sammy T's," he said.

Since the storm moved on, the manager of Sammy T's has been focused on helping his employees dig through the rubble and get back on their feet. These entrepreneurs are not only worried about their businesses.  They're also keenly aware that the majority of the island's residents depend on them for employment.

Like Russell, Cartwright isn't expecting guests to check in to Sammy T's.  But he's glad the disaster happened during the off-season, rather than a few months from now.  With Irene behind them, entrepreneurs in this isolated community are now looking to the future. "This is a wonderful place to visit," Russell said.

"The people are friendly, our beaches are beautiful, it's quiet and you can see every star.  From the way I look at it, this storm can only bring good things, because at least we will get some attention. People are living hand-to-mouth at the moment."

Click here to read more at The Nassau Guardian

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