By Jill Sperling

Kamloops woman cleaning up after losing business to Hurricane Earl

Aug 6, 2016 | 4:09 PM

KAMLOOPS — Two months ago Kamloops woman Sharleen Gronning moved to Belize to begin setting up a watercraft rental business in the island town of San Pedro. On Thursday Hurricane Earl destroyed it. 

Gronning had invested $75,000 USD in Shar’s SeaVentures, located in a brightly coloured building right on the water. 

“I had just gotten my boats delivered and set up at the dock,” Gronning wrote to CFJC News.  “I didn’t even get a chance to start operating before Earl came and destroyed everything.”

The storm hit the coast of the Caribbean nation with 130 km/h winds, tearing off roofs, uprooting trees, and downing power lines. 

Gronning knew she would be safe inside her concrete condo, but the sturdy structure wasn’t enough to shield her from the horror of the storm. 

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“When the storm hit us with full force there’s just no words to describe the terror,” she said. “I have never heard such loud howling before. It was a different experience for sure.  All I could think was please let everyone come out of this OK, let there not be any casualties. I knew there were many people here who live in wooden homes not built for hurricanes.”

Gronning’s condo lost power, rain poured in through the window and door frames, and the wind was strong enough to blow her doors open, despite being locked. 

Back home in Kamloops, Gronning’s children and grandchildren were anxiously waiting to hear the news that she was alright. 

“I assured them beforehand that I was safe and well prepared for the storm,” Gronning said. “I forewarned them that I would lose power and internet so they may not hear from me for a day or so until I got communications back.  So, I think they were OK.  But yes, they were worried of course until they heard from me that I was safe after the storm.” 

She was safe, but her business was completely gone, with only some posts and a small section of dock still standing in the water. 

At this point, Gronning doesn’t know what the future holds for Shar’s SeaVentures, a business that was ineligible for insurance because it was built over water.

“Right now I am just concentrating on helping San Pedro clean up the mess Earl left behind on our beautiful beach,” Gronning said. “Tourism is how this town survives and there are a lot of people far worse off than me due to Earl.”

Gronning adds that the best way for people to help is to keep their travel plans to Belize. 

“Unfortunately, when these things happen it tends to scare people off and they decide not to visit. That will hurt the island, and the country financially.”
 

— With files from The Canadian Press