n our fast-moving times, what happened yesterday is often ancient history in 72 hours. Disasters strike; we shake our heads; express our shock; then without blinking further, we move on. And as tragedies multiply around the world, we gradually slide into a state of calamity fatigue. Our compassion shuts down. To an extent, it's a coping mechanism-the human emotion can take only so much.

In the case of the Grenada tragedy with Hurricane Ivan, however--an event that received extensive coverage last year in the Review (see Newsbreak, October (NAD), pp. 42-44; cover story, November 11, 2004), the opportunity came for a visit to the scene of the disaster for an eyewitness update and, in the process, a chance to include brief side reports on the current situation in other Caribbean areas affected by the same cruel storm.

The brunt of Hurricane Ivan struck Grenada in the afternoon of Tuesday, September 7, the first big hurricane to hit the island since 1955, when Janet grazed it, while heavily slamming Carriacou, Grenada's little sister. (This time it was the mainland's turn to bear the force of the tempest, while Carriacou came off with relatively minor damage.) Ivan's three-hour pounding left an impression that those who experienced it will not soon forget. As reported earlier, the devastation was immense, leaving 90 percent of the island's structures affected. Here, briefly, are some of the conditions I found when I visited mid December, some 95 days following the disaster.

Normalcy Returning
I found much evidence that life's returning to normal. Business and commerce are functioning; schools are open (earlier forecasts had hinted of a January reopening date for schools); roads are clear; food and fuel are available; and there's plenty of water.

For this rapid return to normalcy on so many fronts, Grenadians give much of the credit to sister islands and other outside agencies that came to the rescue. Crews from Trinidad, Venezuela, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, and Cuba arrived upon the scene within days, and helped restore lighting along the main thoroughfares in the capital of St. George's-and all the way to the international airport on the island's southern end. In addition, humanitarian groups pitched in (among them Grenada's National Emergency Response Organization [NERO], the Red Cross, and ADRA (the Adventist Development and Relief Agency).*

Evidences of the Recent Trauma
Side by side with signs of normalcy stand graphic evidences of the harrowing experience that killed some 37 people, two of them Adventists-a mother and her child, hit by flying metal while fleeing their home for safer shelter elsewhere. Vendome, Beaulieu, and Boca-the most heavily damaged areas of Grenada-still carry their story writ large on almost every building. In Vendome, the worst hit, I didn't see a single building that had remained untouched. And all over the island, one can see evidence of the beating taken by both forest and fruit trees: coconut trees by the thousands decapitated; and clove, papaya, mango, breadfruit, golden apple, and other fruit trees leveled. Electric and telephone lines lie strewn along the roadsides everywhere.

The damage to the country's infrastructure is still very much visible. As we drove together one evening searching for a place to eat, Grenada Conference president Clinton Lewis pointed to some four or five dark buildings on the hillside above the road-all restaurants, he said, closed since the storm (and, remember, we're talking three months later here!) Much of the bananas, breadfruit, and other provisions in the markets are imports from St. Vincent and elsewhere-and prices are high. The prime minister's office, many of its windows blown off, with huge sections of its glass wall hanging dangerously overhead, remains unrepaired. The gutted roof of the main fire station in St.George's is still open to the elements, and justa bout all of the windows blown off. The headquarters of NERO (the equivalent of the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the United States) was severely damaged, hours after its officials had been on radio and television giving tips to residents on how to secure their property.

Several supermarkets, damaged by the storm and wantonly looted afterward, remain closed-some perhaps never to reopen again. Most schools, though open (as indicated above), operate on a shift system, with different grades coming in at different times. The Grenada Boys' Secondary School, one of the most prominent on the island, saw three of its long multi-classroom buildings completely destroyed. With a makeshift roof, the single one left standing has been pressed into intensive use, sharing the enhanced load with the assembly building (also severely damaged). The latter, in good times standing empty most of the day, is now a noisy place, with no fewer than five classes occupying the space. Some students are in tents.

The Adventist church came through much better than earlier reported. Only two of its churches sustained serious structural damage, officials told me-a noticeable contrast to other denominations on the island. (Catholic churches and institutions, in particular, experienced catastrophic damage throughout the island.) Many Adventist churches were able soon after the storm to open their facilities to the public as shelters.

In High Places
It's very frequently the case that in major disasters like tornados, hurricanes, and earthquakes, the wealthy and those in power come through virtually unscathed. But in Grenada, Ivan proved an equal opportunity destroyer. Everywhere, huge, expensive mansions stare down at you, with roofs blown off or with other severe structural damage.

Nor were the country's top leaders spared. I found the scene at the governor-general's mansion one of near total chaos (and the situation at the prime minister's official residence was almost identical). "See that car down there?" my guide said to me. "It was one of eight parked on the grounds at the time of the storm that were blown away and destroyed." Inside, the mansion presented a scene of total abandonment: Refrigerators, chairs, sofas, tables, the top of a grand piano, curtains, a mattress and box spring, large wet plastic materials, trousers, shirts, blouses, a mirror, wall hangings-all lying or hanging or leaning there, scattered and broken, a traumatized chandelier watching useless over the dilapidated scene in the mansion's huge reception room.

You can see the open sky through what used to be the roof above what used to be the picture window on the mountain side of the building. The doors are all gone, and a deep cavity looks up menacingly from the floor, the spot where heavy planks from the roof came down, drilling their way through the second story floorboards, the splattered mud on the adjoining white wall, like so many eyes, looking down upon the depressing scene. Walking gingerly, concerned about weakened areas waiting to claim fresh victims, I ventured to the top floor, took in the entire scene in a single view-a picture of total devastation, then beat a hasty retreat. Nor was the picture on the outside any less depressing: piles and piles of broken boards and other discarded material from the mansion.

The scenes in the two government houses seemed straight out of a biblical apocalyptic prophecy depicting a time when all the material things we hold dear will perish, and even money will be abandoned useless. Here in these erstwhile high security areas I wandered about in total freedom, no authority figure in sight-and no resident left in either mansion to enjoy the panoramic views they each command. Even the birds had fled. Only day laborers could be found, moving stones and other debris.

Prospects for the Future
If the state of the official residences of the country's governor-general and prime minister three months after the tragedy is a symbol of what's ahead, then Grenada is in for an extremely slow recovery. The capital needed for the extensive rebuilding and repairs will be enormous-and it will have to be almost totally foreign. (During my visit, Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell was off to China with a delegation, seeking aid.)

Nutmeg, the country's major cash crop, suffered heavily. From the Birch Grove area in the island's interior, you look down into the valley and see acres and acres and acres of nutmeg gone. Once mature, these trees represent an extremely low maintenance crop for farmers. But they take some 15 years to come to full fruitage, and their destruction (some speak of an 80 percent loss) represents a near total wipeout for the current generation of farmers, and a disaster for the country's economy.

Tourism, the nation's second major industry, is coming back, but will take a while to reach its full potential, with many hotels and restaurants still shut down and out of business.

In regard to our church, the prospects are also grim. With tithe having already dropped some 15 percent since the storm, conference treasurer Donald Modeste expects a shortfall for 2005 of between 35 and 40 percent. And he estimates it will take some $600,000.00 U.S. to rebuild and repair all the Adventist facilities affected by the storm-a figure that amounts to nearly one third of the conference's annual budget.

The country-and our church-need all the help they can get.

The Cayman Islands
Ivan touched down in the Cayman Islands September 11 and 12 as a Category 5 storm, killing two people. Of the three islands in the Cayman chain, Grand Cayman received the most catastrophic damage (Cayman Brac and little Cayman received only minimal damage). The Monetary Authority of the Cayman Islands estimates that insurance settlements will exceed US$1.3 billion dollars. But a United Nations sub-group study has since indicated that the country suffered almost U.S. $3 billion in damages, an amount greater than the combined losses of Grenada, Jamaica, Dominican Republic and the Bahamas, according to the Caymanian Compass (Dec. 9, 2004).

Many people were left homeless; and several school buildings were still closed at the beginning of December. Government high schools are operating on a shift system. The Cayman (Adventist) Academy opened for business October 11, however, the first school to do so.

Thirty percent of Adventist churches sustained significant damage, with just one (West Bay) completely destroyed. And Cayman Adventist TV Network was still off the air as of early December. Adventists are bouncing back, though, with most congregations worshiping regularly in their own facilities. (Four congregations were sharing two church buildings on a shift system in early December.)

Special mention should be made of the fact that one of our churches (see photo) was able to come to the rescue of the government by allowing part of its facilities to be used as the official government clinic for the district until the government clinic, contaminated by surge water from the sea and other contaminants, can be restored.

ADRA Cayman has been active donating clothing; and ASI-Cayman (Adventist-Laymen's Services & Industries) was able promptly to respond to the needs of the community, providing grief counseling, concerts in hurricane shelters, soup kitchens, food distribution, etc.

In Jamaica
Jamaica received a double blow-a small one from Hurricane Charley (August 11-12), a Category 1 storm; and from Ivan (September 10-11), a Category 4 (but closer to 5). Charley brought a lot of rain, with accompanying flooding in some areas, but it was Ivan that shook the place down. Heavy winds and rains pounded the island for 24 hours, bringing extensive damage. The whole island was affected, with houses, churches, vegetation, and schools completely destroyed in some areas. The communities of Portland Cottage, Mitchell Town, and Rocky Point in the parish of Clarendon were the worst hit. Portland Cottage was completely wiped out and the government has had to relocate residents.

Other areas severely affected included Bull Savannah, Yardley Chase, and Banton Town in St. Elizabeth (all included among those farming communities commonly referred to as the "bread basket of Jamaica"). Here carrots, tomatoes, and eskelion were washed out, and melons and other produce were completely destroyed. Also suffering severe damage were Little Bay and Little London in Westmoreland.

Hurricane Charley saw no fatalities, but Ivan killed 17 (no Adventists). And a large percentage of our church buildings, schools, and offices sustained extensive damage. They include: