August 31, 1979. Forty Years Ago!

Forty years ago today, my family and I went through a hurricane experience we will never forget. It destroyed our home and the way of life that we knew. We survived, though many near us didn't. Rough estimates are that 2,000 people died and 200,000 people became homeless.

Hurricane David was a category 5 storm when it made landfall in the Dominican Republic with winds of 280km/h (175mph). The eye of the storm passed within 15 miles of us. We were isolated for days after the storm along with about 300 people from the area. We learned to rely on our neighbours for survival together.

I learned that you can bathe and wash your hair in the ocean, if you have to. I learned that we need fewer things than we think and we need people a lot more than we think. I learned that the places where you spend your formative years are etched into your heart and memories like no other places.

I learned that generosity and kindness can come from unexpected places like perceived weakness and poverty.

My 11th birthday party, three weeks before David.

I was eleven years old and just about to start grade six. I could never imagine then that forty years into the future, I would still be moved to tears as I remember the events of those days and the impact that it has been on my life.

With the help of my mum, I wrote this letter to my grandparents in Vancouver, BC:

Well, this has been quite the experience. I will try to tell you in order all about the hurricane.

August 29- Beautiful weather and normal life at La Posada. About 8:30pm Willie heard the report that Hurricane David was heading for the D.R. Daddy, Willie and Johnnie prepared the Posada for heavy rains, filled the cistern, and filtered a good supply of drinking water.

August 30- We went to the airport to see Anne off to Wheaton College. She got the last plane out. Afterwards we stopped to shop and the stores were packed with people buying matches, lamps, mops and food. Packages of matches were selling at $8.00. Can you believe? Then we arrived home at La Posada. The waves were HUMONGOUS! Daddy had boarded up our windows and told people from the farm to come and stay at La Posada as their houses might be in danger. Electricity had been off all day. That night Johnnie and I slept on the floor in Mommy and Daddy's room. We expected DAVID to arrive the next day.

August 31- The radio announced that DAVID would pass Santo Domingo at noon. It was supposed to be south of our coast, but we expected very strong winds and rains. So we packed a suitcase and took our food up to La Posada. That was bout ten in the morning.

Everything was fine; quite a strong wind was blowing and the waves were high. Part of the swimming pool wall caved in and as we were having lunch, the zinc started coming off the roofs of the motel unit and off our back garage. We even saw the roof start to rip off our house.

Soon we realized the windows of the Posada were going to blow in and the last we heard on the radio was that DAVID had changed course and that he was going to hit our coast.

Daddy and Willie got us all into the ladies' bathroom under the stairs. Willie dashed back out to get a loaf of bread for me, so I wold not be without food because of my diabetes.

The next few hours were terrible. The building shook and the sounds of pounding and breaking were terrifying. Then the main door of La Posada blew off and water poured in, filling the room where we were  to our ankles. We thought the bathroom door was going to blow in, too. In the middle of all this Johnnie started to softly sing, "He's got the whole world in His hands."

Then Mommy gave us gum because the pressure was popping our ears. We were praying and singing in Spanish and English because the other people from the farm spoke only Spanish.

There were about 30 of us crowded into that little room. Not one of them cried or panicked. And as we reminded each other of God's care and His goodness, we soon felt peace in our hearts instead of fear. I knew that even if we were killed, we would go to be with God.

Afterwards the winds only came in gusts. Daddy was able to go out and get my insulin. It was safe in the freezer; SAFE where we had left it even though the lid had been blown off the freezer.

Willie went out and rescued Benji (Nicole's dog) who had been outside all the time.

Mommy went out to find my syringes. They were bone dry! SAFE! Perfectly safe with all my records that I am supposed to show my doctor. When everything else was floating in water, that was a relief!

We spend the night sleeping on benches in the ladies' bathroom while people who had lost their homes kept arriving at La Posada looking for shelter from the wind and rains.

September 1- I got to go outside. What a change! I didn't recognize anything.

All the palm trees were down. The motels were gone. Our roof was off and our bedrooms and living room were destroyed.

The mobile surgical unit was turned over and blown up against the wall. The swimming pool was all broken up. Every window in La Posada was gone except one- the one in front of the bathroom door where we were hiding.

Every zinc roof was off except over the food supply room and the pharmacy.

We lost many things.

Our clothes were saved and we gave a lot away to people who didn't have a thing. I could even give some little soaking toys and dolls to children and that made them smile.

Our family moved in with the Hunters, whose house was only partly damaged.

God provided everything we needed for all nine of us and the 300 refugees in La Posada until food arrived from the outside six days later.

There were oranges from a nearby orchard, plantains washed up on the beach and avocados.

We all got free milk from the university dairy farm nearby.

All of us worked in the day, cleaning up and caring for the injured. I had fun classes and games for children.

At night we had meetings to sing, give out vitamins and tell people how to keep clean and healthy and ration water.

September 7- Our family left to come to Santo Domingo. Helen left Saturday to start school at Stony Brook and Daddy left for Miami to see about getting aid.

Johnnie, Mommy and I are living at the Cochrane's.

September 10- I started grade 6. A lot of my school papers are wet and moldy, but every lesson is complete.

love, Joan

Our home, after David