Hurricane Luis-Boat Graveyard
9-11-1995
^By ANDREW SELSKY=
^Associated Press Writer=
PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten (AP) _ Military frogmen dived deep into the lagoon of an exclusive Caribbean marina, searching a graveyard of 200 sunken yachts and houseboats for victims or survivors of Hurricane Luis.
Above water, people at Simpson's Bay Lagoon said divers brought up a woman, barely alive, over the weekend. They said she had been saved by an air pocket in the hull of a sailboat.
U.S. Consul General Buddy Williams said the divers brought up a body.
They appeared to be describing the same scene, an indication of the confusion surrounding the death toll and number of missing people on this Dutch-French island.
"The expectation is that the death toll will be higher, of course," said Izzy Gerstenbluth, a Dutch Department of Health representative and Red Cross official.
Initially, nine people were reported dead on the island. Lt. Gov. Dennis Richardson later said there were five dead on the Dutch side _ three natives, a Haitian and an unidentified victim. The French side reported one death.
The U.S. State Department said an American was among casualties on the Dutch side, but it was not clear if that was the unidentified person.
Six other deaths have been confirmed in the Caribbean from Luis' rampage _ two each in Antigua and Puerto Rico and one each in Guadeloupe and Dominica _ for a total official toll of at least 12. Dozens of other people were reported missing on St. Maarten.
Much easier to tally have been the billion-dollar damages wrought by one of the most powerful hurricanes to strike the Caribbean this century. The longest-lasting effect probably will be on the tourist industry that is the main livelihood for many small islands.
Luis, losing power but picking up speed, raced toward Canada's eastern islands today at 51 mph with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph.
At 5 a.m. today, the hurricane was 125 miles northeast of St. John's, Newfoundland. Earlier this morning, St. John's reported winds gusting to 79 mph after the center of the hurricane passed by.
In St. Maarten, thousands of tourists continued their exodus over the weekend, waiting hours in the hot sun outside Princess Juliana airport terminal to go home or go anywhere.
"Families with children first," said a notice at the Pelican Resort and Casino, advising of flights out.
Luis tossed yachts and airplanes around like toys, trashed expensive hotels and shantytowns, exploding even cement-walled homes, and crumpled satellite dishes like paper.
"Wherever you turn there is destruction," said Sarah Rescott-Williams, leader of the Democratic People's Party that is part of the governing coalition.
"Today, we must believe we can build St. Maarten again," she told hundreds of islanders who gathered in front of the mustard-colored government building Sunday afternoon.
Richardson said the hurricane damaged or destroyed 80 percent of St. Maarten's buildings on Tuesday.
The French minister for overseas territories, Jean-Jacques de Perretti, declared the French part of the island, St. Martin, and nearby St. Barthelemy disaster areas.
The St. Kitts and Nevis government reported half the nation's buildings were damaged or destroyed.
Antigua and Barbuda said 90 percent of homes were damaged, half of them severely.
Luis split Barbuda into six parts, roiling seas to 10-foot-high waves that overwhelmed Codrington Lagoon in the midst of mating season for hundreds of wild duck, guinea fowl, pigeons and frigates.
As it roared through with 130-mph winds, Luis turned lush green mountains and valleys to a scorched brown, stripped of all vegetation. Thousands of trees were knocked down along with telephone and electricity poles. Water and electricity plants were destroyed.
Islanders who have lost homes and livelihoods face months of deprivation.
Troops from Britain, France, the Netherlands, the United States, Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad and a string of smaller islands have been sent to help rebuild ravaged islands.
^By ANDREW SELSKY=
^Associated Press Writer=
PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten (AP) _ Military frogmen dived deep into the lagoon of an exclusive Caribbean marina, searching a graveyard of 200 sunken yachts and houseboats for victims or survivors of Hurricane Luis.
Above water, people at Simpson's Bay Lagoon said divers brought up a woman, barely alive, over the weekend. They said she had been saved by an air pocket in the hull of a sailboat.
U.S. Consul General Buddy Williams said the divers brought up a body.
They appeared to be describing the same scene, an indication of the confusion surrounding the death toll and number of missing people on this Dutch-French island.
"The expectation is that the death toll will be higher, of course," said Izzy Gerstenbluth, a Dutch Department of Health representative and Red Cross official.
Initially, nine people were reported dead on the island. Lt. Gov. Dennis Richardson later said there were five dead on the Dutch side _ three natives, a Haitian and an unidentified victim. The French side reported one death.
The U.S. State Department said an American was among casualties on the Dutch side, but it was not clear if that was the unidentified person.
Six other deaths have been confirmed in the Caribbean from Luis' rampage _ two each in Antigua and Puerto Rico and one each in Guadeloupe and Dominica _ for a total official toll of at least 12. Dozens of other people were reported missing on St. Maarten.
Much easier to tally have been the billion-dollar damages wrought by one of the most powerful hurricanes to strike the Caribbean this century. The longest-lasting effect probably will be on the tourist industry that is the main livelihood for many small islands.
Luis, losing power but picking up speed, raced toward Canada's eastern islands today at 51 mph with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph.
At 5 a.m. today, the hurricane was 125 miles northeast of St. John's, Newfoundland. Earlier this morning, St. John's reported winds gusting to 79 mph after the center of the hurricane passed by.
In St. Maarten, thousands of tourists continued their exodus over the weekend, waiting hours in the hot sun outside Princess Juliana airport terminal to go home or go anywhere.
"Families with children first," said a notice at the Pelican Resort and Casino, advising of flights out.
Luis tossed yachts and airplanes around like toys, trashed expensive hotels and shantytowns, exploding even cement-walled homes, and crumpled satellite dishes like paper.
"Wherever you turn there is destruction," said Sarah Rescott-Williams, leader of the Democratic People's Party that is part of the governing coalition.
"Today, we must believe we can build St. Maarten again," she told hundreds of islanders who gathered in front of the mustard-colored government building Sunday afternoon.
Richardson said the hurricane damaged or destroyed 80 percent of St. Maarten's buildings on Tuesday.
The French minister for overseas territories, Jean-Jacques de Perretti, declared the French part of the island, St. Martin, and nearby St. Barthelemy disaster areas.
The St. Kitts and Nevis government reported half the nation's buildings were damaged or destroyed.
Antigua and Barbuda said 90 percent of homes were damaged, half of them severely.
Luis split Barbuda into six parts, roiling seas to 10-foot-high waves that overwhelmed Codrington Lagoon in the midst of mating season for hundreds of wild duck, guinea fowl, pigeons and frigates.
As it roared through with 130-mph winds, Luis turned lush green mountains and valleys to a scorched brown, stripped of all vegetation. Thousands of trees were knocked down along with telephone and electricity poles. Water and electricity plants were destroyed.
Islanders who have lost homes and livelihoods face months of deprivation.
Troops from Britain, France, the Netherlands, the United States, Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad and a string of smaller islands have been sent to help rebuild ravaged islands.
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