Debbie Ridgway and her family moved from B.C. to the British Virgin Islands seven years ago.
When Hurricane Irma hit the island of Virgin Gorda, they took cover in a friend’s bathroom.
“All of a sudden, it just hit and you could hear glass shattering,” Ridgway said. “You could feel all the air sucked out of the house.”
When they emerged from the makeshift shelter, the Ridgways’ home had been destroyed. They say not much is left standing, other than the island in the kitchen.
Globalnews.ca coverage of Hurricane Irma
A few days after the storm passed, Ridgway — with the help of her sister, who works with the non-profit Unite BVI — was told there was a helicopter that could take her and her kids to Puerto Rico. Her husband stayed behind.
They had 30 minutes to take what they could.
“We said our goodbyes and we got air-evaced out,” she said.
Ridgway, her two children, niece and nephew arrived back in Ladner on Friday night. They’ve already been overwhelmed by donations.
Her husband is still in Virgin Gorda as the community starts to rebuild both their home and their restaurant business.
“It’s extremely sad, because we want to go back there. Our entire island is a tourist island,” Ridgway said. “We thrive off tourists.”
— With files from Jill Bennett