Antigua and Barbuda people remembers nerve-racking effect of Hurricane Irma on anniversary

Antigua and Barbuda: Barbadians are remembering Hurricane Irma today on the anniversary of a massive storm that tore through their tiny island, leaving if not all 1500 residents devastated and in shambles.

In the wee hours of September 6th, 2017, Barbuda was struck by the worst disaster in its history. Mainland Antigua however, was spared the ravages.

The hurricane took with it not just infrastructure but severely affected the livelihoods of Barbadians’ mental and physical health. They were left without water, electricity, and food, and their agriculture died.

But Prime Minister Gaston Browne said despite the setbacks, Barbuda has grown in leaps and bounds after the devastation by Hurricane Irma in 2017.

Browne told reporters on the eve of the anniversary that developments on Sister Ilse show the resilience of Barbadians.

“Before what existed before Hurricane Irma decimated the island, Barbuda has emerged to be one of the most significant luxury islands in the Caribbean. No one would have expected that. Barbuda is now poised to eclipse St Barts based on our attracted investments,” Browne said.

The prime minister said apart from the hundreds of millions spent by the Peace Love and Harmony project on Barbuda; several investors are gearing up to pump more money into Barbuda.

“PLH has built luxury homes, condominiums, and one of the finest golf courses in the world. We also heard announcements recently by Robert De Niro and his partner that they would be spending a few hundred million dollars on the Paradise Found project,” Browne said.

He said 95 percent of people who lost their homes have either received a new home or are currently having their homes rebuilt.

“I feel happy about the progress made. We built back better. The people have gotten far better homes that are more climate resilient. They got them for free. They are fortunate because at no point in the history of this country would people have lost their homes and gotten a free home,” he said

Immediately after the storm, Prime Minister Gaston Browne travelled the world, soliciting funding from donor agencies, including the European Union and the Peoples Republic of China.