October 1999 Table of Contents

Every settlement on Abaco was seriously affected by Hurricane Floyd. Here is a south to north tour of the damage. Not every report was able to be independently confirmed.

Sandy Point: Flooding was Sandy Point's worst enemy. The small, sandy peninsula suffered extensive salt water intrusion. "Nine of us had to cross this road while the water rose," Nicholas Roberts told the Journal. "We all had to grab onto each others' belts to avoid being washed away." Both the government dock and the Texaco dock survived the storm. A few of the older homes were completely razed and even modern homes received extensive roof damage. Falling trees had caused a degree of damage. The St Martin's Anglican Church Hall had been in use as an emergency shelter but it too began to become flooded. People were taken by boat to Oeisha's Resort, a two-storey structure at the southern end of the township. Once the water receded, the residents brought out the contents of their houses in an attempt to dry them out. It was clear that most furniture and fittings, bedding, carpets, appliances, electronic equipment and wall surfaces were beyond repair. The sea wall that protects the road into Sandy Point was broached and boats had to be used to reach the mainland. A new road was buldozed on the eastern side in the mangrove swamp. Sheets of plywood were laid to allow cars to cross the damaged area into the settlement.

Mores Island: Potable water was the greatest need in Mores Island after Floyd had passed. Ten homes and a church were destroyed in Hard Bargain and families had to move in with relatives in order to have a roof over their heads. During a visit to the island, Prime Minister Ingraham mused aloud that Floyd might have been a blessing in disguise for the island. The residents could now invest in superior structures that would resist a hurricane like Floyd. He placed Mores Island as one of the most heavilly-hit places on Abaco.

Crossing Rocks: The old shoreline settlement was dealt a heavy blow by Floyd and none of the homes there are now able to be occupied. The ponds flooded and the old settlement was only accessible by wading or by boat. There was some structural damage to the homes on the hill and extensive damage to the old power house building. Disney Cruise Lines and American Bridge sent in the Big Red Boat with water and emergency supplies for the three settlements - Sandy Point, Mores Island and Crossing Rocks - that provided the majority of the workforce during the construction of Castaway Cay.

Casuarina Point: Two houses were completely flattened and several others made irreparable by Floyd. One of the best-maintained homes in the area lost its roof. Recent structures that were not previously owned by Owens-Illinois fared well. Nettie Symonette's Different of Abaco appeared to have suffered relatively light damage.

Cherokee Sound: Reports from Cherokee Sound say that things were not too bad. Lots of trees down and some older houses wrecked.

Spring City: About half the houses in Old Town were completely destroyed. The New Town houses suffered much loss of roofing tiles and a dozen suffered structural damage. The old, tall buildings in White Town, made of Grand Bahama pine, all stood proudly intact in this inland settlement.

Marsh Harbour: Every dock on the harbour suffered damage. A steel boat, we are told, broke its moorings and was bounced along the Front Street shoreline breaking down docks in its path. It ended up in Dundas Town. Several commercial fishing vessels and a sports cruiser ended up on shore. Warehouses suffered damage, including Solomon's Abaco Wholesale and Abaco Wholesale. Flooding in town abated quickly. Most business places were damaged to some degree. The restaurant and Emeralds night club at the Airport lost its roof.

Dundas Town: Older buildings in this shoreline settlement were completely destroyed or suffered extensive damage. Again, modern buildings fared much better. The Surf Side Club was partially destroyed and Bayview Restaurant lost its rear balcony. Radio Abaco's transmission tower went AWOL and Pizza Hut was severely damaged on the eastern side. Admiral's Yacht Haven docks were also extensively damaged.

Murphy Town: The range of destruction was similar to that of Dundas Town, the older residences suffering worst. The Ball Park tower fell and the Abaco Central High School classrooms that ran east to west were severely vandalised by Floyd. A great number of text books were soaked and rendered useless.

Elbow Cay: Residences on high ground and around the harbour fared well. There was extensive water intrusion at White Sound, several houses being reported as 'washed away'. Sea Spray and Abaco Inn ended up on separate island of their own. Serious relocation of the waterfront had occurred, according to Vernon Malone. Most destroyed homes belonged to winter residents and would impact the economy of the island. Shortage of potable water was another concern as local rainwater tanks need to be pumped using electric power.

Man-O-War Cay: Compared with other settlements, Man-O-War reported minimal damage. The docks still stood and there were few cases of structural damage. Some boats were pushed inshore.

Guana Cay: Damage was light to moderate at Guana Cay as well. On the day after Floyd the Guana Beach Resort kitchen and restaurant were destroyed by fire. Floyd also destroyed the Guana Beach Resort dock. The cliff near Nippers has suffered further erosion. Johnny Roberts organised the community in a general clean-up and it was arranged for generators to be brought in. The spirit on Guana is described as excellent.

Treasure Cay: The main damage to residences was caused by flooding and occurred mostly in the Windward area. The road to Windward Beach was still blocked off by fallen trees a week after Floyd struck. Damage was caused by a 15-foot todal surge that left a 6-foot tide mark on the walls of some homes. The Long Building survived, but with extensive roof damage. There was also roof damage to the newly-renovated Treasure Cay Resort buidings at the mouth of the Marina. Dormy Villas had to be evacuated because of flooding.

Green Turtle Cay: There was reported flooding throughout New Plymouth during Floyd. Both Green Turtle Club and Bluff House received damage. At Green Turtle Club, a tornado was experienced and all the rooms were flooded by a tidal surge. Martin Havill of Bluff House reported extensive damage. He was particularly concerned about his staff, who would have to be laid off for a while until repairs were effected. Many of the staff came from Fox Town and other north Abaco settlements where Hurricane Floyd was particularly devastating. Crawfish habitats were washed out and this will be a bad season for Green Turtle fishermen. There were conjectures that the effects of Floyd on Green Turtle industries will be long lasting.

Coopers Town: Even modern residences and public buildings were destroyed by Floyd in Coopers Town and Fire Road. The two schools, S C Bootle High School and Coopers Town Primary, were severely damaged. It will take a long time for Coopers Town to recover.

North Abaco: Hard hit by storm surges, north Abaco settlements were devastated by the force of Floyd. Cedar Harbour, Wood Cay, Mount Hope, Fox Town and Crown Haven all became distressed areas. Kevin Jones of Wood Cay helped clear to road so aid could reach Wood Cay and the more northerly settlements. Ezekiel McIntosh of Wood Cay completely lost his fish house to the tidal surges.