From the outside, it looks like a typical primary school in the multi-island Caribbean nation of St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), with children’s voices echoing behind the distinctive green walls. But inside, washing lines sag with the weight of towels and clothes, and there are people of all ages: a baby frets on her mother’s hip, children squeal as they chase each other, teens play basketball, and elderly people sit on classroom chairs chatting.
This school in the district of Calliaqua is one of 20 on the country’s mainland, St Vincent, which were converted into shelters for those displaced by Hurricane Beryl, the category 4 storm which tore through the region in early July with winds of up to 120mph (193km/h).
Some of the 30 people at this shelter arrived with nothing but the clothes on their backs. During the hurricane, many had spent hours hiding under beds or staircases or huddled in cupboards and bathrooms as Beryl ripped off their doors and windows, dismantled their roofs, smashed through their walls and tossed their appliances into the wind.
Six weeks on, nature has calmed down, reverting to the quiet, stunning beauty that defines SVG. But many in the shelters remain trapped in the horror of the storm, reliving those hours of terror.
“A lot of people are traumatised,” said the shelter manager, Josel Matthews. Some survivors refused to eat for days, staring off into space or breaking into sobs, she said. Some are now working with counsellors provided by the government.
And though the hurricane is over, they still need other kinds of help because they remain homeless, and their businesses and their jobs are still gone, said Kelly-Ann Neverson, a manager for another shelter in the country’s capital, Kingstown.
“The challenge for them is that they have lost not just their homes but also their livelihoods. Most of them are boat captains, chefs, and fishermen,” she said.
But speaking with shelter residents, it is clear that – driven by the resilience and ambition that define their culture and identities – they are eager to get back on their feet and provide for their families.