Hurricane Ike Devistates Turks & Caicos Islands

The Turks & Caicos islands recently suffered a “tremendous loss” as a result of Hurricane Ike. The islands, which my good friend Andrew just visited and couldn’t stop praising the virtues of, may not be fit for tourism for quite some time. The Category 4 storm has left thousands of residents homeless, though no casualties have been reported as of yet.

(UPDATE: Turks & Caicos says they weathered the hurricane in good shape)

Winds reached speeds of 135 miles per hour, destroying wooden homes and businesses. Residents of the islands are short on access to food, electricity and drinking water. The areas most affected by the storm were Providenciales, North and Middle Caicos.

“Many of our citizens have suffered tremendous loss, nevertheless we are resolute as a people and we will unite to return our communities back to normal.”

Regional and international agencies, including the Red Cross, have responded and are currently providing food, water and medical supplies to the islands.

Galmo Williams, Minister of Home Affairs and Public Safety, said “We will rebuild stronger and better but we thank God that so far we have had no reports of any fatalities due to the storm.”

Obviously, leisure trips to the islands should be cancelled immediately. If you’d like to help, you can contact the Turks & Caicos Red Cross for donations.