Dozens of residents came together in Queen Elizabeth II Park on Friday to honor the one-month anniversary of Hurricane Irma. Photos: AMANDA ULRICH

On Friday — exactly one month after record-breaking Hurricane Irma ripped through the territory, killing four and destroying huge swaths of infrastructure — government officials and religious leaders held a ceremony to commemorate the anniversary.

Dozens of residents came together in Queen Elizabeth II Park on Friday to honor the one-month anniversary of Hurricane Irma. Photos: AMANDA ULRICH
“Certainly many of us will remember Hurricane Hugo, Marilyn, Luis, Lenny and all the others,” Carolyn Stoutt Igwe, permanent secretary for the Deputy Governor’s Office, said. “But none can compare with Hurricane Irma. The Cabinet has decided that it’s fitting we gather here this afternoon and just give God thanks.”

The event also served to officially identify and honour those who died in the storm: Xavier “Dag” Samuel, Charles Thomas, Derek Ragnauth and a fourth victim Ms. Stoutt Igwe identified only as “John Doe.”

Dozens of residents, alongside police officers from the United Kingdom and the Cayman Islands, took part in a moment of silence to remember the men and several others who died after Irma.

Premier hid in bathroom

Towards the end of the hour-long service in Queen Elizabeth II Park, Premier Dr. Orlando Smith took the stage to describe his own hurricane experience.

Governor Augustus Jaspert watched as religious leaders made remarks, and later took the stage to praise various organisations for their rebuilding efforts.
“I remember just two days before when I was basically addressing the country on BVI radio, I said to everybody: Find a safe place during the hurricane. It might be a bathroom, it may be just a room with four walls, but find a safe place,” he said. “And the reality is I found that safe space myself: It was my bathroom. We had about six people in there.”

The premier acknowledged, however, that thousands across the territory also feared for their lives and lost homes and businesses.

“I heard these experiences from many, many people of what they were going through. And if you look around at the hillsides, you’ll see evidence of what everybody has gone through,” he said. “We have a big challenge ahead of us to try to build back this country. But as I said before, we know that with individual challenges we all rally to the task. We will do what we have to do.”

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