Editor’s Note: This article was first published in 2012. This version contains some minor edits.
It is a date that is etched in the minds of many Dominicans: August 29, 1979. It was the day Hurricane David struck Dominica.
The island had only twice been previously struck by a severe hurricane. In a hurricane in 1806, 131 people died when the Roseau River shifted its course and flooded the capital. On September 10, 1834, 200 lives were lost as a result of what was to be known as the ‘Great Hurricane.’
And 40 years ago today Hurricane David, a Category 5 hurricane and one of the deadliest of the latter half of the 20th century, roared towards the island.
Days before, forecasters predicted the hurricane would spare Dominica and hit Barbados instead. But hours before moving closer to the islands the hurricane shifted and and headed for Dominica. Although it was clear David was coming residents did not appear to take the situation seriously.
Hence the island was totally unprepared as there was little local radio warning and no systems in place for disaster preparedness. Packing winds of 150 miles-per-hour the hurricane pounded Dominica for six hours from 9:00 am.
Thirty-seven people were killed and an estimated 5,000 were injured. Three-quarters of the population of 75,000 were left homeless. Many people slept in the open or huddled in homes of fortunate friends and neighbours for weeks or months to come.
The economy was totally destroyed, roads and bridges were blocked or swept away. Communications to the outside world was maintained only through Fred White’s battery operated ham radio until links were restored.
The Commander of a British Navy Frigate, which arrived in Dominica the next day, described the scene on the island as that of a bombed-out battlefield.
Dominica’s plight soon got swift attention from the Caribbean and the wider world. Food, tents, water and other supplies began arriving from the United States, Britain and Canada. Caribbean countries such as Barbados, Antigua and St. Lucia allowed temporary residence for scores of Dominicans who fled the island or who sent their children away until conditions improved.
The authorities struggled to restore some semblance of normalcy to the island. A food ration system was initiated. Foreign forces, contingents of the French Army, US Cee Bees and Royal Engineers set up camps here and assisted with relief efforts.
By November, Prime Minister Seraphin estimated that the pledges of assistance were at over US$37 million and that there was the probability of more in the long term. Assistance began pouring in from the IMF, International Red Cross, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Organisations of American States, the EEC and Caribbean Community States among others.
For months after the storm the island echoed with the sounds of chain saws, hammering and electric generators as the people attempted to rehabilitate themselves.
August 29, 1979 is a day that many Dominicans will never forget.
Reference: The Dominica Story by Dr. Lennox Honychurch.
i was 10 years old, i would not leave my grandmother alone. her big tall house fall down flat on its buttocks and she held me close while praying her rosary. after all was calm, her grand children from vielle case start to come to penville to check on her. cannot forget that day. one of my cousin say, when he did not see my grandmother house any more which was a land mark for them, they start to walk to look for her. lasting impact on a child
It was my 1st year in Florida and I was scared after what happened to you all. Glad Dorian missed you.
Back then I felt much much better about the future of Dominica than I feel now though now we have more money than any foreign bank. In fact we so rich now that I hearing of a bank of Dominica in Panama . But the future of our country is as dark as hell
Hurricane David was a Cat 5, so too was Maria i e upwards of 157 m p h.
Dorian was a storm in Dominica, a warning. It is now approaching Florida as a possible Cat 4 with wind speed at 130 to 156 m p h. And it is not September yet. ( (September remember).
Remember to pray for protection and defense from Hurricanes and other natural disasters. Today there was a volcano in Italy. We are a volcanic island.
On Sunday this weekend will be World Day of Prayer. It will also be the 1st day of the week, the first day of the month of September, the first Sunday too. So let us say special prayers of praise and thank to Jesus for the miracle protecting us from a possible Cat 5 Dorian. Let us pray also for his protection and defense from the ravages of other hurricanes on this day.
I was 14 year old when hurricane David hit Dominica and it was like fun myself and neighbors, in woodford hill area.we were outside jumping up in the air to see how far the wind would carry us, because we was stupid. it was fun watching the coconut trees snapped and some leaning almost to the ground with all the branches facing one direction.nothing happen to our wooden house, but our outside kitchen and pit toilet house was flown away couple hundred feet away. my best time after hurricane David was getting the ration, brogodo I would make flour porridge as the day go along. and we got all these used clothes. every body was on the same level and plenty love.
my dad was in the hurricane
I remember that day quite clearly. I had turned 20 earlier and we had come through a most difficult period of political upheaval. Then the hurricane hit exactly 3 months later. It was the most fascinating experience for me. It was also both mesmerizing and horrifying, all at the same time. Some people were devastated. Some people discovered a lower low in living conditions they had never experienced before. Others rode a tidal wave of a mass exodus from the island. It was a new beginning of the force of nature that brought change for everyone. We helped each other, we survived, and we strived.
DNO when posting please proof read before posting. You message reads it’s 33 years to date that is incorrect 2016 minus 1979 is 37. Please make the corrections.
ADMIN: This is an outdated story. Check the date before commenting.
2017 MINUS 1979 =38
I was 3 years old and remember the destruction…..Have never been involved in anything like it since.
oh my god thats what david do
Thanks God for the military help. I owe my life to them.Dominica united we made it today. God bless us all.
:)Thankyou for the thanks. Was in nmcb1 and was sent there to help with the cleanup.
I remember as a 21 year old United States Marine seeing the destruction that David left in his wake. I was in Squadron HMH-461 out of MCAS(H) New River in Jacksonville, North Carolina delivering supplies. We were all in awe that anyone survived. It was one of the most heartbreaking sights I have ever witnessed in my life. I am 55 years old now but, I remember it like it was yesterday.
I was 17 terrible n worst thing I’ve ever witness .my whole family home was flat to the earth . To survive we had to run after the storm from mud slides.when we get to the village the sea n river was one ..Houses n debris all over. We had to head back to the mountain. Day 3 i go swallow by a mud slide. My family help but couldn’t get me out .a so was other people. But i want to thank the USA military for getting me out the mud slide .I owe them my life.
I was one of the first group of US Navy Sea Bees into the airport. We slept in sheets on the tarmac as supplies, Vehicle’s and construction equipment was brought in. We were in total awe of the destruction we seen. The homeless population was over whelming. Even to this day the dreams of this disaster still invade my sleep
Thank you for your help. I remember it well. After David we were 21 people in a 2 bedroom house. Those were hard times.
Dude, I was there with 461 as well. I was in charge of the metal shop. I had Mike Hall with me. I can’t remember the exact dates. It was my last adventure before getting out in Dec. I had been with 362, which was on yet another Med Cruise.
I was four years old when hurricane David passed that was a hurricane to remember.
It was a terrible day….
We should never forget, especially the generosity and the support we received from people all over the world.
I remember that David. I seen a man leave on a donkey with a cutlass to salvage things prior to the hurricane and the donkey came back with half of him on the donkey from flying tin off a shed roof top… That was one ruff hurricane ya hear .. Wow! The force !!!! Long Co Co Nut Tree Top Bend And Touch Ground.
It was rough. We tied the roof with a rope and held on to it to prevent the roof from flying away. The sound of the wind and the damage you can her was awful. Thank God it did not happen during th night, more lives would have been lost, and there would be more injuries. Imagine going to SIFOCOL and having to study with candles. Too much canned foods, getting immunizations becasue of fear of communicable diseases such as diarreah. Lineing up for rations. The looting was also bad in Roseau. There was a Christms song I the words “Come along students even though you live in tents, Christmas is a time for fun so forget the hurricane.” God bless all the countries which came to our aid. God bless America and Good bless “Lovely Dominica, land where the people smile.”
Memories do not leave like people do they always stay with us. That was the last time some people came united,show their neighbors love,Least we forget look at us now, fighting, hating,killing, smoking,ect, we do not need a next Hurricane to do the right thing. But sad to say the whole world gone mad, therefor lets pray, pray, and pray.
I will never forget this day as a little girl at the age of 7 yrs old i still remembering like it was yesterday it was a day off pray in my family all the haily mary was said by my then late dad .my eighbour who died just recently went under the bed she was so afraid.when every thing was over o’lord look coconuts and many other .i could go on an on .ANYway we cant aford any other like david lets all give thanks to the most high for every thing he has done for us in dominica doimincans you all must be greatfull at all times
Before this hurricane my family was pretty well off . After the hurricane we lost everything. My mom had just rebuilt her three bedroom home, I was 11 at the time. I cannot and will never forget this horrific day. Broads were not passable to town for many months and rations were dropped ba helicopters. I lost two cousins in that storm when their home went tossing through a cliff with them inside……MEmories
The memories of this hurricane will be forever at the forefront of my memory bank. But even more profound is the way we recovered from this massive disaster. With a great leadership and government this country really made some strides.
The great Eugenia Charles and the Freedom Party took the mantle and brought us forward. I will not emphasize the details so as to avoid the semblance of politicing. Nevertheless the truth is the truth and when I hear people today talking about the best administration Dominica ever had is what we have today I have to shake my head in sorrow and amazement. We were a much more united people – there was one voice rallying for forward movement.
Hurricane David reminds me of how vulnerable and fragile we are but the memories of how we rose from the rubble reminds me that we were once a progressive people and a people with great resolve and fight.
I remember that morning when I awoke, outside was bright and sunny and by 9:00am, the weather had already started to change. Briefly, I saw many roofs go, including the one of the Portsmouth Pentecostal Church. That roof went off so funny, from the church top to the Benjamin’s Park and then again, way up and in fell in the sea just off the Portsmouth Police Station. My family and I were at home and then we all moved to the Portsmouth Catholic Church for shelter. I recall, only 1 galvanize left our house, the one to the end on the back of the house. What an experience. I really do not want another one like DAVID for us. Protect us Lord through all forms of disasters, natural or man made, amen
Wow, its just to keep us in check the mother nature is just that, mother nature and can’t be taken for granted. But we are a blessed people. We should never forget what could have been, and make the best of what we are still blessed to have.
i remember that day. I was 7. I was spending the summer in the country. It was so so hot before. Then the weather changed and my grandparents were busy putting things in plastic bags. Next thing is wind. That was something. The roof went. We had to run to the neighbor’s house. But his roof went soon after too. We held up in an old kitchen and my grandmother just prayed. The next morning I couldn’t believe it. Everything was flat. You could see for miles. The mountains were bare and black. We thought it was the end of the world.
that last picture… wow. I didn’t experience hurricane David but I’ve the stories from my mother and father. Never want to be caught in such a devastating phenomenon.
This brings tears to my eyes. It is so hurtful. Just so hurtful. Thank you God for where we are today. All i can say is thank u lord. Thank you my redeemer. mY REDEEMER LEAVES. mY REDEEMER LEAVES.
Hey, I can see my house from there.
In spite of all this we have been through we are yet still so stubborn, so unforging, so quick to cast judgement, to criticize,to insult and hate- Why can’t we always remember that God spared the lives of most of us, he gave us a second chance without reproach, and that we should use every opportunity ( including the mistakes or poor judgements of others) to encourage to develope to make stronger to work hand in hand, head to head with each other as we did after hurricane David to build and rebuild our
SWEET DOMINICA?
Correction first line (Unforgiving) not unforging
DNO do you still think that I am not human after I already said that I am human back then. I only use my EN BA LA
Is August 29th just a bad day? David, Katrina, isaacs…..
I was 18 years old and made it down to Roseau from Marigot on the only Bus that actually made it there. We had to turn back and use the East cost road because there trees across the Bells Road.I was on my way to Roseau to Register for Guitar Classes At christian Music School. By the time we were approaching the City, The Interim prime minister at the time (Oliver Seraphin)Was talking to the nation to take cover. I thought that it was the end of the world while passing the Hurricane with my sister and her family at their Apt in Upper lane Roseau; Close to the Roseau Boy school. My description of the devastation is this…Coconut Trees became like a battered Banana Tree,(what I was used to seeing in previous smaller storms) The Banana Tree became like Grass and The grass became nothing. Because of the Devastation I ended up Going to Trinidad for 3 years where I attended a Music School such as Mr Christian’s Music School.I return back home to Dominica after 3 years.
I was 6 years old and there with my parents. We were missionaries. My parents built a Christian school in the countryside and it was destroyed. I was born at St. Marg. Hospital and lived in Castle Bruce before the school was built. We survived the devastation of David and returned to the states in Dec. Of 79. I am planning a visit to my homeland next year.
We currently have a hurricane that just won’t go away and causing widespread damage to our Country. The labor Party!!!!
somebody had to bring politics into it.
i remember that
day , it’s that day that changed my whole family life forever. after that we came to england to leave and this is where we stayed 33years on i would like to say that the best god had for us but only he knows . i thank god we made it ,but will never forget
I was really young and I still remember this clearly. This is some day I will never forget to the extent that this was my “First Hand Experience” essay when I got to college.
After the hurricane we had an unobstructed view of Grand Bay stay anywhere and see anyone, anywhere. Felt like you were standing in an open field. That was a sight.
The mass helping and seeking the older persons in their homes and getting them to safety during the storm that was undertaken by the young men of Grand Bay at the time. The Late Pierre Charles and L’echelle – I remember you all they helped rebuild people’s houses after the hurricane also – COUDMEN – a few hours and they move on to the next.
Thanks to them.
God really had a hand in there – the magnitude of this disaster and lack of preparedness and to have so few people die.
This is one day in our history we ALL prayed together – everyone on island praying at the sometime.
That day there I learnt to respect a coconut tree. I see one bend north, south, east and west like a bow and the coconut tree never broke.
I remember going under my mother’s bed and that was probably the first time I ever said the “Our Father” with that much urgency and so earnestly.
And I remember afterwards all the ration and nuff blogodo-w. Thank God for those.
What a day that was……what a day……
Oh my gosh, we have similar stories for that day. You are so right about the coconut trees. I saw coconut trees hit the ground and sprung right back up; can never forget that sight. The only prayer I knew at the time as a six year old was “Our Father” and my grandmother had me praying that prayer like there was no tomorrow. But thank God my family and I came through unscaved. Most of my neighbours weren’t that lucky even though their houses were much bigger and appeared much stronger than ours.
I remember clearly I had to stand on a bed to prevent myself, my little sister and brother from drowning. I was made homeless sleeping by aunt here a friend over there. And how could one forget the ration! I can never again eat cornbeef harsh and white rice – God my body got tired of that
I so agree with u dont like rice hate that cornedbeef harsh
It was the pre condition to Da’s death.It was the time when DA was stripped of it’s abundance of potential and established interlectuals never to return and replaced by what we have and became as a nation a skeleton of what we were and could/should have been.
This brings back so many memories. I was so very young but Hurricane David has left it’s footprints etched in my memory. I have never seen a tree bend, sway and refuse to break like that ever, not even in a tornado in the US which I have experienced. My mom being pinned against the side of our little kitchen, with my sister and I trying to help move things into the house. My dad was worried about his patients and my mom had gone to town early to get batteries and poor woman struggled home. For what seemed an eternity my sister and I were home alone, my brother was in the country with our grandparents for the summer. When our roof went and the house started to rattle and roll we decided to make a run for the neighbour who actually was so evil she had a chain on her already steel fence. The old bat stood in the door mouthing out commands. My mom braced my sister under her arm, a plastic bag on her back like a makeshift backpack and me holding on to her in a fowrard carry postion. 3 attempts before we could make the run, everything was clear, all you were seeing was an open sky, and things flying. my mom had to return to our porch and yell at the woman to please open the door and move so she could run with my sister and I.
That woman had us mopping water because she was concerned about her settie, with my mom and her husband pressed against her huge slidding door. Goodwill was a clear as a savannah. Seeing my dad return was the one thing that warmed my heart. When he left my sister and I were both crying and poor thing had a hard time consoling me and telling me we were not going to die. I don’t know why I remember these things,being so young but like many children I do. God bless and protect Dominica that we never have to experience this again.
My darling Tri-State I too was young and made homeless.We lived in TENT CITY after. Butteroil,klim, white rice, corn beef harsh etc
Anyways I guarantee you I will protect you with my life no matter the storm. Hail, sleet, snow,hurricane, Tsunami, tornado, life’challenges. Woman I can hardly explain how much I love you!!! Next time I call you don’t stick your tongue out for me and walk past me eh. See you and your fine self labour day weekend.
DNO leave my comment you know I making progress,Tri-State fine and I’m destined to make her my wife!
Aye this is something else eh!
Reading these accounts have brought tears to my eyes. Marpin needs to do a documentary.God really watched over us.
I would like to erase that horror from my mind, but alas I can’t. I was in my twenties and thank God for my parents, who had never witnessed a hurricane themselves, but were able to protect me. At some point even my father broke down and asked the lord why? but it was nature at work with no preparations. It was a Labour party Government with Ferdinand Parrilon as Minister of Home Affairs, who kept saying the hurricane was in Barbados , and all the time, roofs and antennas were flying in Dominica. It started at about 8.45am with full force although it had been raining from morning. I never want to feel hungry like that in my life ever. Surely these memories cannot be erased from my mind,tears are streaming down my face as I think of that experience. I would like to tell any body who want to experience a hurricane, that it is not pleasant, be careful what you wish for.