Dahlia Cash is an alumnus of SLU University Campus class of 2018 and an SLU online graduate student in the Masters of Psychology program, currently living on the Island of New Providence, Bahamas.
“They said that we were not going to get a direct hit,” is what I kept telling myself. Many other persons and I from the Capitol of New Providence underestimated the strength and damage hurricane Dorian would do.
First, I would like to say that my heart aches for the islands of Abaco and Freeport because they have experienced the worst of this storm. Though the island of New Providence was not directly hit, we have experienced flooding from the king tides and heavy winds.
Cash’s home was directly impacted as trees in her yard were rooted up by the gusting winds. Water from the outside poured into her living room as the outer bands of the storm whipped the capital of The Bahamas.
It was honestly hard to sleep in such a storm knowing that others were now homeless, or people were crying out for rescue. For the past few nights, I would find myself panicking in my sleep because the winds were so strong. I honestly thought that the roof would be destroyed with my grandmother and me in it or the trees from the yard collapsing on my house from the winds.
Living in an area that has a high chance of flooding can have a person on edge. During the late hours of the night and early morning, my grandmother and I were salvaging through clothes to secure the doors around the house.
Despite being indirectly impacted by the storm, New Providence- the capital of the Bahamas experienced substantial flooding inland and on the coastal areas of the island.
We knew that this would not hold for long, but it was either watch the water come in and do nothing or try to slow it down the best way possible. Water has been in our home for days and rose a bit higher because of the constant rainfall. Because of this, the chances of our appliances being damaged are extremely high. There were constant prayers for Dorian to dissipate so that recovery could have started. I haven’t experienced a major hurricane in a very long time, so this is one I can never forget. Yes, I have experienced flooding, and yes, some items may need to be replaced. However, my Bahamian people are strong and resilient, so I am confident in how we will recover. Material things can be replaced, but life can not
I would like to give a heartfelt thank you to the Saint Leo Community for the prayers and sympathy for my nation. Such gestures do go a long way, which makes me proud of making Saint Leo my choice. Some of our fellow Lions are hurting, and the support from the Leo community is greatly appreciated. Some lost small things, and others lost everything.
