[IMAGECAPTION]PHOTO: Hurricane Irma's eye and full fury passed over the tiny Caribbean island of Barbuda. (photo via Flickr/Antti Lipponen)
"What do you say or believe when everything you know, everything you worked for, everything special, every memory you created, was swept away in an instant?"
That was the profound question posed to me by Hurricane Irma survivor Rhoda Nedd after being evacuated from Barbuda.
She and her eleven-month-old baby were visiting family when the Category 5 hurricane descended on this Caribbean island, leaving absolute devastation in its wake. She'd heard about the Post-Irma interview I'd done with an air traffic controller and reached out to share her own harrowing tale of survival.
"I remember sitting in the living room with my family as we commented on how the wind was picking up," she told me. "After a while, we went to bed to try to get some rest."
Rhoda was torn from her slumber by the sound of car alarms. The wind had grown so fierce, it sent vehicles flying. She noticed water had started coming into the house. Her family gathered in the living room, expressing concern for the door, even though it had been nailed shut from outside.
"Then my phone service went blank and the madness began."
Meteorologists say Hurricane Irma generated wind speeds of up to 185mph as it slammed into the low-lying island of Barbuda. Rhoda likened the sound to that of roaring lions.
"[I could] hear things hitting the walls, roofs and windows," she described, "I looked outside of a small window and the lightning lit up the sky, making it look like daylight. At that point, I was wondering: Why even have shutters if the rain and wind could find its way inside?"
As the front door's shaking grew with intensely, her uncle pushed himself against the door in an attempt to keep it in place.
"He held the door for what seemed like hours," she recalled, "If my memory serves me, he probably fought the wind for the door for two hours."
Rhoda's aunt joined her uncle in the battle, yet they were no match.
"The door busted open, and anything that was flying past the house in the wind came inside. As we ran through the house, leaves, what seemed to be sand, branches and other debris raced us to the back of the home."
Amidst the chaos, Rhoda's aunt corralled the family into a room built with concrete; where they piled themselves and anything they could carry on a bed to stay dry.
"We all got to the back room and looked at each other silently as the reality of what was happening set in," she explained. "Although no one was hurt physically, as we can see as we looked at each other, the emotional and mental pain was apparent."
Then, in this moment of terror, the consciousness amongst her loved ones transformed.
"She [my aunt] started to shine with hope as we held hands to pray. My uncle started to speak to us about drawing closer together as a family and using this experience to build not only our strength and faith, but our characters. We prayed and held hands, doing our best to believe that we would be okay.
"I was so thankful for the room. Although the rain was coming through a window, it was safe."
The wind came to a dead stop around two in the morning. They were within the eye of Hurricane Irma-a calm before the storm would intensify.
"My aunt and uncle sprang into action quickly. The only chance we had to help us regain some sort of security was at that moment," she said, recalling how they all ran outside in a frantic search for materials they could use to re-secure the door. "My cousin [age 14] and I did everything to help. We saw and heard [other] people doing the same thing. Everyone was trying to save their homes."
While many have been impacted by Hurricane Irma, Barbuda saw some of the worst devastation.
The eye of this behemoth hurricane-the strongest in recorded history-passed directly over the small island. It carried with it the full potential of its centripetal force that had been swelling with intensity over the Atlantic.
"The trees were gone, flat or leaf-less," said Rhoda.
"Galvanized [steel] was everywhere; wrapped around any standing lamp posts, hanging from fences, on the street. Wood everywhere, clothing and other personal items [were everywhere]. I saw houses with roofs caved and crumbled in. Roofs completely gone, only walls left standing. Buildings leaning, lamp posts spilt in half down the middle or chopped into three pieces. Vehicles crushed and ruined. The place looked as if bombs were dropped on the island."
Gaston Browne, the Prime Minister of Antigua & Barbuda, released a statement estimating that 95% of Barbuda's structures suffered damage as a result of Hurricane Irma. He estimated that at least 60% of Barbudans lost their homes.
Rhoda described how people wandered aimlessly through the rubble with nowhere to go.
"The whole scene made me speechless," she admitted. "It's something that I never thought possible. I couldn't believe it was the place I grew up. There were places I frequented that weren't recognizable, places I use to go to that were completely gone.
"I saw people who lost everything go straight into survival mode. I think people saw strength in each other. They came together to help, even though they themselves had nothing. Material things can come by again, but life, it's a one-time thing. It's unfortunate for all of us who lived through it, but we lived.
"We must do what is necessary to survive."
"Not only [am I] hurt for myself and family," she continued, "but for everyone on island and their families abroad. I think Barbuda will grow together as a community by holding each other's hands through the process. Sharing not only what they have, but their hearts, with everyone-encouraging each other, even though they themselves are in the same pinch. That shows there's a good side to [the] tragedy."
It's with this sentiment that Rhoda hopes by telling her story, she can spread awareness and encourage the international community to join hands with the people of Barbuda.
One of the best ways to do so is by making a contribution to the ABRC Hurricane Irma Relief Fund for Barbuda Indiegogo campaign (organized by the Antigua and Barbuda Red Cross). Please share using hashtags #ABRC #BarbudaStrong.
At the time of publishing, their campaign has raised almost $70,000. Keep in mind, many people in Barbuda lost everything. Consider how Rhoda broke down in the midst of our interview, yet overcame this trauma to finish her narrative. It's this strength in the face of adversity that's most inspiring.
That's why I now ask readers to open their hearts and raise another $70,000 for the ABRC campaign.
"I learned how to appreciate [life] on a deeper level," Rhoda said. "I'm thankful for everything. You never know what you have until you cannot have it anymore. I learned how strength and resilience can save you, and how hope and determination can save lives."
Tragically, one life was lost on the island of Barbuda as a result of Hurricane Irma. Some might say it's a miracle the death toll wasn't higher considering the severity of a weather event of this magnitude.
Rhoda believes in the miracle's outcome.
"I think there's a purpose for every life spared. I think their experience will be a testimony," she concluded. "I believe God wasn't done with the people of Barbuda. As long as there is life, they can thrive."
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