When the river behind her home surged and the wind ripped the roof off her kitchen, Tasheva Hinds knew it was time to flee. The mother of four was at home in River Lane with her family of seven, including a five-month-old baby, when Hurricane Melissa ravaged St Ann. ‘The river rose rapidly, and then the bathroom and kitchen roof were torn away,’ Hinds recounted to Barbados TODAY. ‘The children’s room was blown off, and water poured in from every direction.’ The family braved torrential rain and fierce winds to seek refuge at a nearby police station, where an officer helped them reach a shelter. ‘It was terrifying,’ Hinds admitted. ‘Trees were falling, and the river was rising uncontrollably.’ Days later, Hinds, still clutching her baby, surveyed the ruins of her home. ‘I’m grateful it wasn’t worse,’ she said, determined to rebuild. Nearby, Tina Wilson faced a similar ordeal. She was preparing dinner when the storm hit. ‘I saw the roof lift off and told my daughter to run with the baby,’ Wilson recalled. ‘I stayed to save what I could, but the house was swept away.’ Wilson and her family sought shelter in a friend’s unfinished concrete house, narrowly escaping as a massive tree crushed their home. ‘We lost almost everything,’ she said, ‘but we’re alive, and that’s what matters.’ Both families, like many in River Lane, are now salvaging what remains, clearing debris, and burning ruined furniture. ‘If we can get materials to patch up a shelter for the children, we’ll be content,’ Wilson said, embodying resilience in the face of disaster.
‘Better life than material’: Mother recalls fleeing Melissa with children in tow
