Hello All,
I just arrived (evacuated) back in the States from our home on the North Coast of L.C. First I'll answer questions I have read here, then tell you the story.
We made a circuit of the island before we left yesterday. For all I would recommend having someone who has a key to your homes go and check inside. The intense pressure from the storm caused many interior ceilings to come down.
For those who don't know me, our house is the two story white cement house just east of Asters. I was there with my 86 year old Mother and her 77 year old friend. Being a good host! Went to bed at 12:30am knowing it had just made Cat 3, but was still not too concerned. Gustov had just be through and we suffered no damage other than vegetation. Awoke at 3:45am to terrible noise. Went to living room and saw water boiling up in the window seams. Went to the guest bedroom (upper SE side) and the double doors were trying to be sucked out. I tried to hold them (don't ask why, just instinct I guess). I held on for about 15 minutes until one was sucked out and sailed away, almost taking me with it. I realized I had to get out of there, but was afraid to let go of the other door because the sucking was so intense. Then the interior door to that room began slamming open and shut and began coming out of it's frame. I waited for a few more moments, then made a run for it. I got back through the house to the master bedroom where I had left my Mother in bed ( she slept with me that night because of the storm...hubby still in the states) and found the ceiling collapsed onto the bed. I screamed for Mother and she grabbed me from behind. She had awakened as the ceiling began coming down and and gotten into the hallway going into the master bath. We spent a terrifying night in the master closet listening to the house trying to be taken apart around us. Our guest was in the downstairs guest apartment alone. The house and floor shook like an earthquake, for hours. Finally about daylight, I could feel the winds abating. I knew the worst was over. I tried to open the bedroom door toward the living area and couldn't budge it. The wind and suction was still so strong it wouldn't open. Finally around 8am I was able to open the door. I wanted to get downstairs to check on our guest. I sight I found was shocking. Both double french doors in living area and guest room were gone! Partial ceiling collapse in the kitchen, ankle deep water. When I got downstairs, our guest was mopping! Water had gone down the AC ducts from upstairs, loosened sheet rock on that ceiling and was finding the lowest point. The good news is our guest slept through most of it. She said she heard the banging, got up and felt water on the floor, and decided it best to go back to sleep. She slept through most of it!
It was 3 days before we could get out to the road. We did so by driving the beach east to Ken Halls house, then out to the road. Thank God for our 4-wheel drive. It was five days before the water was low enough on the road in front of the house to use it. There's so much to tell but I'll stop there. Just know that Ed Aster got to us damsels in distress by 10am. (he and Barb live just to the west of us) He left his home, which by the way was a bit worse than ours, and came to check us and help. He spent two hours with me retrieving doors from the yard and helping me at least semi close up the gaping holes in my home. And the wind was still blowing about 40 knots. God bless him.
I hope this narrative helps. I will be glad to answer any questions I can. My husband came down as soon as he could get in, we dried in the house and left. Will return when we get power, which given the holidays will probably be Jan 1. God's blessings to all.
Elizabeth McCoy
I just arrived (evacuated) back in the States from our home on the North Coast of L.C. First I'll answer questions I have read here, then tell you the story.
We made a circuit of the island before we left yesterday. For all I would recommend having someone who has a key to your homes go and check inside. The intense pressure from the storm caused many interior ceilings to come down.
For those who don't know me, our house is the two story white cement house just east of Asters. I was there with my 86 year old Mother and her 77 year old friend. Being a good host! Went to bed at 12:30am knowing it had just made Cat 3, but was still not too concerned. Gustov had just be through and we suffered no damage other than vegetation. Awoke at 3:45am to terrible noise. Went to living room and saw water boiling up in the window seams. Went to the guest bedroom (upper SE side) and the double doors were trying to be sucked out. I tried to hold them (don't ask why, just instinct I guess). I held on for about 15 minutes until one was sucked out and sailed away, almost taking me with it. I realized I had to get out of there, but was afraid to let go of the other door because the sucking was so intense. Then the interior door to that room began slamming open and shut and began coming out of it's frame. I waited for a few more moments, then made a run for it. I got back through the house to the master bedroom where I had left my Mother in bed ( she slept with me that night because of the storm...hubby still in the states) and found the ceiling collapsed onto the bed. I screamed for Mother and she grabbed me from behind. She had awakened as the ceiling began coming down and and gotten into the hallway going into the master bath. We spent a terrifying night in the master closet listening to the house trying to be taken apart around us. Our guest was in the downstairs guest apartment alone. The house and floor shook like an earthquake, for hours. Finally about daylight, I could feel the winds abating. I knew the worst was over. I tried to open the bedroom door toward the living area and couldn't budge it. The wind and suction was still so strong it wouldn't open. Finally around 8am I was able to open the door. I wanted to get downstairs to check on our guest. I sight I found was shocking. Both double french doors in living area and guest room were gone! Partial ceiling collapse in the kitchen, ankle deep water. When I got downstairs, our guest was mopping! Water had gone down the AC ducts from upstairs, loosened sheet rock on that ceiling and was finding the lowest point. The good news is our guest slept through most of it. She said she heard the banging, got up and felt water on the floor, and decided it best to go back to sleep. She slept through most of it!
It was 3 days before we could get out to the road. We did so by driving the beach east to Ken Halls house, then out to the road. Thank God for our 4-wheel drive. It was five days before the water was low enough on the road in front of the house to use it. There's so much to tell but I'll stop there. Just know that Ed Aster got to us damsels in distress by 10am. (he and Barb live just to the west of us) He left his home, which by the way was a bit worse than ours, and came to check us and help. He spent two hours with me retrieving doors from the yard and helping me at least semi close up the gaping holes in my home. And the wind was still blowing about 40 knots. God bless him.
I hope this narrative helps. I will be glad to answer any questions I can. My husband came down as soon as he could get in, we dried in the house and left. Will return when we get power, which given the holidays will probably be Jan 1. God's blessings to all.
Elizabeth McCoy
