""We've had friends... their buildings that were close to the beach and just collapsed. A lot of roof damage in that area as well, wooden structures just completely destroyed," she said. "If you had a wooden structure, that was never going to survive any kind of wind, particularly these kinds of winds. There's been whole towns just completely destroyed and I'm not sure some will ever come back""
""At least 19 people were killed in the chaos brought by the category five storm, one of the most powerful ever measured in the Caribbean. Ms Kilbride said they were the strongest winds she had ever experienced, and she counted herself very lucky that Kingston did not bear the brunt of it. However, she said people were traumatised in the south and north-west of the island, where some towns were destroyed and scores of people were left homeless.""
""Ms Kilbride said it was much less severe in Kingston. "Although it was very strong for us, it was nothing compared to what they actually had. They were worlds apart," she said. "The winds were loud, we did experience a lot of leaks, we lost a tree in our back garden. There were a lot of trees in our neighbourhood that came down.""
Orlagh Kilbride, 45, originally from Dublin, has lived in Kingston for almost a decade and described her experience of a category five hurricane. At least 19 people died and entire towns in the south and north-west were destroyed. Beaches eroded up to buildings and many wooden structures collapsed, producing extensive roof damage. Around 30,000 people are homeless and funds are being sought to help people recover. Kingston suffered strong winds, leaks and fallen trees but avoided the worst damage because Kilbride's newer house remained intact. Wind speeds exceeded the resilience of many buildings, creating long-term recovery challenges.
Read at Irish Independent
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