It’s been a week since Hurricane Maria pummelled Dominica, and Patrick Mullins still vividly remembers his experience on the ground as the powerful storm tore through the Caribbean island.
The 67 -year-old Ontario resident was in Dominica working on a project with local youth when Maria made landfall. Mullins was inside his rented home while 270-kilometre-per-hour winds ripped through the property.
“It shook every time there was a gust of wind,” Mullins told CTV Halifax. “I wish I had more vocabulary, but it was indescribable.”
Mullins, who is now at home in Ontario, recalls the moment the eye of the hurricane passed overhead -- all went quiet for a moment. Soon after, the thrashing returned.
When he went outside the next morning, the streets were in disarray.
“Telephone polls on the street snapped off, electrical wires were down, house rooves [had] gone all over the place,” Mullins told CTV Halifax. “You had nothing.”
Between hiking and getting a ride when possible, Mullins trekked through 20 km of muddy, debris-covered roads to get to the airport.
He became emotional when talking about his return home after the hurricane.
“It was hard to leave those people,” Mullins said, holding back tears. “I was lucky.”
A camera crew flew him to Guadeloupe where, by chance, an Air Canada flight was getting ready to board.
“I feel happy but I feel guilty because I made some good friends. They’re good people.”
International aid and emergency supplies continue to arrive in the aftermath of Maria as the country works to recover.
With a report from CTV Halifax and files from Daksha Rangan
