HILARY HOSIA
Strong winds in Majuro last Wednesday left a Jenrok family homeless.
“I used to sleep over there,” Jenrok elderly woman Zilla Luther pointed to where the door entrance to her home used to be.
What remained of her home is a concrete slab littered with broken plywood, various household appliances and wet mattresses. The only wall left intact displayed kitchen utensils and remnants of the kitchen area.
Living with Zilla were two high school students and two young couples. One of the couples had a small child.
The family sought shelter with their next-door neighbors when fierce winds began shaking their home. “Thank God no one was hurt,” Zilla told the Journal.
Zilla’s home is located at the oceanside of Jenrok, where a couple years back she used to fear the rising tides that occasionally terrorized her house. The fear of ocean crashing into her home is long gone since construction of the track and field multi-purpose facility began two years ago.
“We thought we were safe from the water but then came the wind,” a family member said.
Other places in Majuro also experienced roof damage. The old and deteriorating bowling alley lost a piece of its roof to the wind. It blew off late in the day and blocked the ocean side road for a few hours until the tin and wood debris was pushed to the side of the road.
Some families in Rita also reported damage to their roofs.
The Marshall Islands Red Cross Society (MIRCS) responded to affected families in Rita and Jenrok following last week’s strong winds.
MIRCS dispatched assessment teams followed by delivering hygiene kits, solar lamps, tool kits, blankets, kitchen sets and tarpaulin covers.