Dominica marks ninth anniversary of Hurricane Maria

Dominica marked the ninth anniversary of Hurricane Maria, a catastrophic Category 5 storm that struck the island on September 18, 2017. During a session of the Dominica Parliament, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit reflected on the devastation, noting that 31 people were killed and 34 individuals remain missing.

Skerrit described the impact of the storm, which featured winds exceeding 160 miles per hour, stating that 90 percent of all houses were damaged and over 80 percent of the population was left homeless overnight. The disaster caused severe damage to infrastructure, including schools and health centers, and wiped out significant portions of the nation's agriculture.

Assessments by the World Bank and the United Nations estimated the total damage and loss at 226 percent of the island’s gross domestic product (GDP). The Prime Minister highlighted the long-term trauma faced by citizens, noting that many still struggle with the memory of the event.