Dangerous Dean - Hurricane victim recounts Sunday afternoon horror

Maria Rhone had just finished cooking Sunday dinner and was about to share the sumptuous rice and peas for her family when the dangerous Hurricane Dean took the roof off her house in 2007.

The house she was living in, at Resource, Manchester, had just been reroofed due to damage sustained by other natural disaster. Rhone, who was five months pregnant at the time, thought she was secured for the Category 4 hurricane, but Dean had other plans.

"... It was a Sunday evening and I had finished cooking dinner and was plating it for the family. I was in the kitchen and me just see the roof went, all the pot a rice and peas full a water," said Rhone as she laughed heartily.

In her panic, Rhone picked the lock of her neighbour's house to seek shelter, but that roof also went in a matter of minutes.

"My neighbours weren't home and when I saw that my family had nowhere to go, I went over there. As we got in the roof came right off and a piece of board hit me in my head. All I could do was just stand in the rain and cry ... Our neighbours eventually knew we went there but they didn't say anything because we had a good relationship."

SEEKING REFUGE

She said her husband and other children were tending to her son who was physically challenged, while she sought another area they could seek refuge.

"My older son pointed to another neighbour, this one's house was decked and she was kind enough to let us in. That is where we stayed until the storm passed. It was a nerve-racking period ... Me run through all macka barefooted and never realise until the next day."

She lost everything, including her clothes and the pieces of furniture she had in the house.

"We couldn't mop the water, we had to sweep it out because it was too much. I had to burn most things because it couldn't be fixed ... the roof of the house was partially fixed but for about a week, we were sleeping in a wet house because of the heavy rains."

Rhone said it took her months to recover from the ordeal and got assistance from persons who donated clothes and other items to help her get back on her feet.

"I don't ever want to experience that again. I was five months pregnant and I was worried that I would go into early labour. I just have to thank God for helping me get through ..."

With an active hurricane season under way, Rhone says she is now better prepared for the eventuality, but is hoping no major disaster hits the island.