St. Lucia: Hurricane Tomas, From Bad to Good

 Story and photos by Tab Hauser tab@tabhauser.com

 

 

(This story is dedicated to the memory of the friendly artists who lived and worked up the hill from Soufriere in St. Lucia  who helped us with directions to a restaurant the night before hurricane Tomas struck.  They were completely wiped out when part of a mountain gave way.)    

 

First I need to say that we love St Lucia.  It is that simple.  The place is beautiful, the people are friendly, and the food is delicious because it is either grown on the island or just fished just off the island.  In January of 2010 we spent a week in a two room villa complete with a small pool overlooking the Caribbean ocean having a private sunset view.  It was a magnificent trip because we were not attached to any hotel and decided to go to and from the different beaches and places to eat each day. (For details on that wonderful trip go to http://www.tabhauser.com/Stluciabytabhauser.htm) On that last day of that trip we spent the day at the Jalousie Plantation. We liked it so much we went back at the end of October and spent the time not exactly doing what we had planned.

 

      

  Jalousie Plantation White Sand Beach Next To Petite Piton                         Rainbows Are Not Uncommon Here

 

Back at the end of October of 2010 we had arranged a long weekend with friends to go back to St. Lucia.  I was celebrating my birthday and they were on their 25th anniversary.  For this trip we decided to stay in the upscale Jalousie Plantation in the southern and prettier part of the island that is squeezed between the scenic pitons.  The trip started off on a sour note as our good friends could not make it at the last minute.  Three days later at what is considered the end of the hurricane season the southern part of St Lucia was ground zero for death and destruction caused by Hurricane Tomas.  During the first 2 days of my birthday weekend we enjoyed the resort, easy diving and snorkeling as well as the pretty beach.  On the third day a tropical depression stalled and turned into a hurricane drenching us for the next 20 hours and creating havoc.   Within the first several hours of the storm the resort lost its power, water and all communications to the outside world. It was also sealed off by mud slides going to the main road as well as rock and mud slides on the main road.    At that time the media was in Haiti and the reporters talked about the effects Tomas would have on them even though it was downgraded to a tropical storm. The world literally did not know about the disaster on the southern half of St Lucia where over 20 deaths occurred. In fact much of the north part of the island did not know how bad things were because they were not hit as hard.

 

          

Sheets  Of Rain In Distance                                    Furniture Thrown Into Our Pool at Villa 508 So It Stays Safe

 

 The morning of the storm we went to breakfast at the Bayside Restaurant on the beach.  We saw the rain getting hard and wind whipping up in serious gusts. One employee had to fight to get the Boston Whaler on a mooring and then go in for shelter.  After breakfast we headed up to our villa to watch some movies and catch up on some reading.  Our patio had a view of Petite Piton. What we saw were sheets of rain with gusts picking more frequently. Petite Piton’s steep normally dry walls were flowing with waterfalls all over them.  The drenching continued for hours on end and late in the afternoon we lost power and running water.  It rained so hard that the air looked nearly white at times. The sound was like millions of drums beating about.

 

Different Views Of Entrance To Walkway By Our Villa As Seen The Day After The Storm

 

At around 7PM I went to see how our butler was doing in the little cabin at the foot of the walkway and to see if he had any news.  His cabin was where our group of villas started and where the hotel road meets.  Where I walked on a side walk earlier in the day I was now shin deep in mud small rocks and debris that came down from the hill.  The road past our villa was blocked by mud up to my knees and rocks no bigger than chairs. From 7:30 to 10PM the night of the storm I was helping those who were below us make it up through the mud in our area.  Several staff members did the difficult job and took a risk of walking down in total darkness from where the road closed to get additional people to safety.  Once on the hotel road I helped a few shocked guests trudging and half carrying them through 2 feet of debris and mud to the rescue 4 X 4 that stopped in front of our villa where the road was blocked off.  In some instances we gave shelter to them under our patio while the 4 X 4 was making its rounds up and down the road. In one case we had to give clothes and (and some rum) to a British gentlemen who escaped his villa by running out the back door and holding on to a tree with nothing but is boxers on.  Additionally we saw staff members trying to clear part of the road at night with bare hands and shovels but the rocks were too big.

 

An Delicious Dinner Served via Candlelight and Flashlight During The Storm. Kudos to Staff for working in difficult conditions

 

 At 10:30 the rain let up from the deluge to just a good pouring and the wind seemed to subside to a safe level.  With that in mind and the room to room phone was still working we learned that everyone had been rescued below us and the hotel road was clear of debris. They said food was still being served so we got a lift down to the main building on the 4 X 4. At the main restaurant and bar we saw candles everywhere with people eating or resting up. We were served sliced chicken, fish and steak cooked  by candlelight in the kitchen which was basic and delicious. It helped that the hotel opened its bar to everyone. The food and the cold St. Lucian beer hit the spot after not eating for 14 hours.  After dinner we walked around and saw the bar and the chic looking lounge area turned into a refugee center with families and couples claiming couches, chairs and spaces.  We were thankful we had our own place to sleep as we were comfortable  without the power and A/C. 

  

 This Was The Mess Next To Our Villa By Earthen Berm          Part Of Mountain That Gave Way Near By

 

Before settling in I checked the short earthen berm that was outside our villa and went to sleep around midnight. A half hour later we were woken to crying children.  I jumped up, looked out the window and yelled to an Irish family of 5 to stop in their tracks. This family was stuck down at the main building all day. They were finally allowed to go back to the villa next to us when the management deemed it safe to take them back as the hotel road was closed most of the day due to fallen trees.  As the villas in our immediate area were not hit with mud and rock slides the family was given a ride back and they were  bringing  food to their friends family in the next cabin before going to sleep.  The problem is the family was dropped off next to our villa and their eyes were not accustomed to the dark. They did not know the common walk way was buried and thought our patio lead to the sidewalk and their villa. They were literally about to step into the pool and the furniture that was thrown into it.  Four of the five in this family we brought through the front door but mom got separated and was banging on our back door very lost and upset.  After calming them down and handing them a flashlight I told the father with 2 bags of food in his hands to bring them to  their friends next door and come back. The idea was for him to drop the food off and have his free hands for the kids and already know which way to go back.  The idea was good but the children started to melt down which got the mom to cry again when he was gone after two minutes.  With a little work we calmed the children down which calmed the mom down. A few minutes later the father came back and they were off with another one of our extra flashlights. (I import LED flashlights and always bring extra as gifts for staff) After the Mom’s very wet hugs of thanks they left.  With the family gone we mopped up the place and went to bed only once again to be awoken to what sounded like the roar of a jet engine an hour later.  We could not figure this one out totally and went back to sleep.

 

The next morning we woke up and realized that noise was a small part of the mountain washed down  creating a moderate slide of larger boulders and more mud just  next to us and below us. The entrance to our place had boulders as large as a desks and was impossible to walk through. Some villas that were evacuated the day before had mud up to the roofs. We were lucky as our earthen berm in front of our place deflected some of the rocks and mud with the majority bending away from us due to the curve in the road.  Had our villa been 100 feet down further down the road we may have been hit hard.

  

Lot's Of Damage But No One Was Hurt.  Jalousie Staff Cleaned & Repaired Much of The Resort When We Returned 10 Weeks Later

 

Breakfast that morning was served family style. We talked to the manager and told him I was an emergency manager at home for my area offered our assistance.  He asked a few questions and then graciously said he may ask for some help. The manager we learned was a veteran of previous hurricanes at other hotels he worked at so we know we had a real pro in charge who had been there and done that.   He also said he was holding a meeting. There he discussed that were OK on food for a few days and were cut totally cut off from the island. Simple things like toilet flushing came up in which we advised guests to take their ice bucket and  fill it with pool water and pour it down the toilet to flush. He did not have more to offer simply because we were out of touch with everyone.  After his meeting many guests including ourselves offered help in various ways. I was requested to go to the dock to help empty and start the Boston Whaler as he knew I am boater.   Once started a staff member and guest climbed aboard to go around the Gros Piton to see what was going on in the rest of the world by checking on Soufriere.  Another boat that came by took another guest to the southern tip which is where the international airport was to see what was going on and more important to let authorities know that everyone in Jalousie was OK.  News came back from Soufriere about deaths, the hospital and school roofs blown off and how the main roads to this town were gone. They did not know much more about the outside world than we did. The other boat came back with several cases of water and news that the airport was closed and there was not much of any information. It interesting to see people walk up to the dock to hear the latest news  as was done on this island during the colonial days.  The docks and wharfs were always the  first point of news from the world.

 

On the two following days many of the Brits took a “stiff upper lip” approach and helped sweep and clean out some of the public areas and lower restaurant. We chipped in for a while using a kayak paddle as a shovel.  It kept people busy and made some of the common areas usable.  Maureen and I  mentioned we wanted to get morale up.   Many children were sitting sad faced around the main building watching their sad faced parents who in turned watched their sad faced children.  With this in mind we told people to go to the beach, pick out a lounge chair, clean it up and make the best of the day.  At the beach I noticed the towel cabin had its door bent a little  but I could see bags sealed with cleaned towels.  Seeing this I ripped the door off the hinges and tossed it on the sand passing out towels to people migrating near the pool.  We were first on the beach and in the water with more people following us later that day and more the next day.  Besides swimming and floating in the bay, it was the only real place to wash up.  One French family lost nearly everything and was doing laundry in the ocean in their underwear.   The other thing we did was offer our rental 4 X 4 rental to the resort or the gas in it if needed. Were the only guests with a rented vehicle and we used it to haul staff and guests up and down the hills or from the dock whenever needed or when we were headed up to our villa. This kept the resorts 4 X 4 a little freer.    

 

The Night Time Evacuation                           Maureen Holding Baby For Mom   

 

That evening we drove down to the main building for dinner.  We were told that dinner on this second evening was being brought up to villas or the bar lounge area if that is where people were sleeping as many of the staff members took the long grueling walk back to town to check on their families.  Dinner was basic as the evening before and we were happy to have it. While the portions were a little smaller, there was plenty of food and it tasted good.  Cupertino Ortiz, the Executive Chef and the person in charge of food and beverage was doing an outstanding job under the circumstances.

 

After breakfast and group meeting the next day we headed down to the beach to relax when we saw a low flying helicopter doing loops over the resort. We learned it was the Prime Minister surveying the damage and seeing how we were totally cut off from the rest of the island.  A couple of hours later the Minister of Tourism came by boat and advised us that at 3PM we were being evacuated by boat to the northern part of the island which was in good shape.    Guests were packed and waiting at the dock from around 1PM sitting in the heat on the cleaned off patio done earlier by a few British families. Unfortunately the boats came pretty late and at 7PM the first catamaran pulled up and took families with children, elderly and a few expecting mom’s.  Hotel staff, boat staff as well as Maureen & new found friends helped load people on while holding flashlights, luggage and even babies while moms went on board. The loading of tired looking guests went well in this organized quick retreat.  We had a couple of near misses and even caught a 5 year old who almost walked in between the boat and dock.  We got on the second boat which was a good thing because we learned later there was no third boat and some people were stranded another night.  After a long slow 2 hour ride we arrived in Rodney Bay where a list was made up on which guests would go to the different hotels that were available.  We went with another couple we befriended from New York to Sandals Royal.  At midnight we arrived and were taken to a room to check in where sparkling wine and air conditioning awaited us.  Stepping into that room was like being in a different world.  From there it was a snack in their pub and then a well needed shower before falling asleep. 
   

  The Morning After Tomas  The Powdered Sand Was Washed Out      Ten Weeks Later Jalousie Beach Is Totally Restored


The next morning there was a lot of confusion between the staff, Sandals guests and a few of us Jalousie refugees.  Information from the staff was not entirely accurate because Sandal's had no way to know what was going on but they did their best.  At 10AM a meeting was held and the guests were told the international airport was closed and people can try to make arrangements for future flights from the smaller nearby airport that services the nearby islands and San Juan.  Some of guests were overbearing bombarding the staff with questions of which some they could not answer.  With a tug from Maureen I interjected at this meeting and corrected a few things. I told the manager and guests that we had met with the Minister of Tourism and gave them the facts as he told us. We told them that no one is going anywhere not because the international airport could not take flights, but it was closed due to several mudslides that took out both roads to the airport. I told them I heard people in this meeting complain their rooms got a little wet from the hard rain or that they did not like that the internet was down for a day. I explained that several of us at this meeting were without water, power or communication for nearly 3 days and to shower we had to use the ocean.  I also told them with the roads completely gone they were not going anywhere until the government can get organized to run boats to the international airport and that no one was going anywhere for now  I said you have rooms with air conditioning and a big pool with blenders that are working so make the best of it.  With that said the manager ended the meeting and came back to thank us. We told her we were happy to help but we had a problem with the hotel as we were put in an upgraded suite the night before and was asked to leave because they thought another guest was coming in. In other words we needed a room.  She said to call her in an hour which we did only to find were changed to their large villa on the hill with small private pool.  (Being nice really helps)

 

Our Airport Transfer Due To Roads Washed Out

 

After being on the phone the next two mornings and evenings I finally booked a LIAT flight to Barbados with Jet Blue allowing us to leave from there. I was pretty proud of doing all these arrangements between the net and phone taking almost two hours of time. Just as I finished I learned Jet Blue was sending an empty plane in two days to get us. With that said I spent another hour canceling and changing to this plane.   We now knew we had two more nights before we were leaving.   Sandals is not on par with Jalousie. The food tastes the same,  the furniture in the room is pretty low quality and the location of this hotel was not good. (I think Sandals should spend less money on TV advertising and put some of that money into upgrading the place. The commercials look at lot better than the place in person)

 

No one wants to go through a situation like we did. It is bad enough to be in a hurricane in a resort but a lot worse when the world is sliding away around you with no place to go. The Jalousie Plantation staff did a good job in keeping its guests, safe, fed and comfortable. The bottom line is that when you travel enough, situations do arise. Whether stuck at an airport for 5 hours or caught in a storm make the most of where you are and look ahead to see how you can make the best of a situation. Use the net, phones and even your credit card company if they have a concierge service to get you out of a mess.  In a bad situation don’t take it out on the staff as they are there to help you.

 

I am pleased to say that we went back to Jalousie Plantation 10 weeks later on January 7th for 5 nights and took two other couples with us. The hotel and staff was better than ever and the food was amazing. Many of the staff remembered us and gave hugs when they saw us.   For details on this magnificent resort on our return trip go to  www.tabhauser.com and click Back To Jalousie Plantation, St Lucia.

This follow up report will cover our trip there 10 weeks later.

 

For information on Jalousie Resort (now called Sugar Bay Resort)  go to www.jalousieplantation.com    (Tell them you saw us on Tab's site)


Please send any emails to tab@tabhauser.com