St. Lucia Hurricane Relief

As we took to donning masks, costumes, and the sweet indulgences of candy and ghoulish revelry this past weekend, Hurricane Tomas wreaked a horrific display of destructive force on the windward Caribbean islands. Barbados, St. Vincent and St. Lucia sustained heavy flooding and wind damage. Reported deaths from St. Lucia are now at 14, mainly in Soufriere, where the damage is reported to look like a war-zone. Prime Minister Stephenson King estimates damage from massive landslides, sinkholes, and widespread flooding at roughly US$37 million.

Some Facebook friends were able to stay in touch via iPhone and Blackberry internet service, while others, as myself, have been unable to reach family and friends in some parts of the island. Ti Kaye resort owner, Nick Pinnock, posted the earliest views of the damage, "this wasn't the most vicious hurricane but it caught the whole country unaware, it lasted a very long time and it dropped a lot of water."



Massive sinkhole on Choc Bridge swallows an SUV Saturday night.(NPinnock)



Choc Bridge damage and SUV Sunday morning. (NPinnock)



Cul de Sac valley flooded...impassable. (NPinnock)



'Super Rush' recovery mission (NPinnock)

House perched on precipice caused by landslide. (SCepal)

St. Lucia Needs Your Help Now

Donate to help for Tomas victims:

St. Lucia Red Cross,

First Caribbean International Bank,

Bridge St. Castries,

A/C # 2645392

swift code FCIBLCLC -

Swift codes for Intermediary Banks for funds coming in the following currencies:

USD Wachovia Bank N.Y, SWIFT: PNBPUS3NNYC, ABA: 026005092

GBP BARCLAYS BANK, SWIFT: BARCGB22

EURO KBC BAN, SWIFT: KREDBEBB

Beneficiary Bank: FirstCaribbean Int’l

Bank Swift: FCIBLCLC

More information on how help will be posted in subsequent updates.