By James Peters / Chad Harris

Kamloops missionaries in Haiti survey Hurricane Matthew devastation

Oct 5, 2016 | 12:58 PM

LE CAYES, HAITI — A Kamloops couple working as Christian missionaries in Haiti says the devastation from Hurricane Matthew is worse than what was left behind by the massive earthquake that hit the island nation in 2010.

Rod and Debbie Wray say the area of Haiti where their sports camp is located took the brunt of Matthew’s wrath.

“In our village, where the camp is located, only three homes remain standing,” said Rod Wray. “All the other homes – hundreds of Haitian homes – were all destroyed. And that is the report we’re getting of many towns in the south here, even further west of us, devastated.”

“The sports camp we have is right on the Caribbean, and it was right in the zone. I don’t think the eye passed over it but it was in the zone of the hurricane-force wind. So the whole town of Les Cayes, Torbeck, this whole southern area is just devastated. So, to me, this is far, far worse than the earthquake ever was.”

“It’s just been a huge loss, all our solar panels gone. Our camp was entirely solar, we had 62 50-watt panels and they are all gone, they all blew off, everything. Even before the storm came, I had made special preparations, and double anchored them down. Everything just went, the power was incredible.” 

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“The hurricane brought storm surge flooding, so it brought huge crashing waves 25 feet high against all our buildings. We are very thankful the gymnasium is still standing.” 

Wray says the storm took a horrific human toll.

“People killed under roofs collapsing, people without homes just trying to cover up with a piece of tin or whatever. Even for us as missionaries here, we have no electricity, no water, everything is down. There isn’t a power line left in the air as far as you can drive. There’s just nothing. It’s all down.”

In addition to the housing and infrastructure damage, Wray says the harvest has been destroyed.

“I was able to go out today and drive around. I didn’t see one standing banana plant, all the fruit trees are down, all the corn, all the congo beans, all the crops are gone. There is going to be incredible hunger here. Lots of wood to cook food, but no food to cook.” 

“Our mission ‘Harvest International’ out of Ocala, Florida is already organizing some relief efforts. Asking people to make 5-gallon buckets for the Haitian people if they can. Put a jar of peanut butter, and a small bag of rice, and soap, a towel in it. I don’t know how quickly those buckets will get here, but they will help.” 

To donate to immediate relief efforts through the Christian mission, click this link.

To donate through the Canadian Red Cross, click here. 

LISTEN: Full inverview with Rod Wray from Le Cayes, Haiti

WATCH: Former CFJC News employee Curtis Allen was in Haiti in March, 2015 and filmed this documentary

Video Courtesy: Solid Rock Video