Rita Pemberton
Monday, September 30, 1963, began as a normal working day for the people of Tobago.
Without any advisory of expected adverse weather, adults went off to work and children to school without the slightest notion of the tragedy that would befall the island that day.
The newspaper reports later provided much information on the extensive damage it suffered and the relief and restorative work that was necessary, but little attention was paid to what people experienced throughout the unexpected ordeal.
That day began with heavy cloud cover, and by mid-morning, the sky became darker. No one paid any attention to the erratic behaviour of the birds flying seemingly aimlessly across the sky.
Life on the island went topsy-turvy when rain and storm-force winds started, as the outer rain bands of the hurricane hit the island with fury. The rain was blowing in all directions and the roofs of some offices and schools were damaged.
There was a lull in the wind and schools across the island were dismissed during the lunch hour when – after the fact – official notice of an impending storm had been given. Most schoolchildren had no idea what a hurricane was, and the school syllabus did not include any explanation. Being unaware of the potential danger, some children stayed “to shelter” from the rain, assuming it would cease.
Some homes succumbed, while others were damaged by the force of the wind and rain during this early phase.
The tranquil image of the island was transformed from that of a lush land surrounded by blue sea fringed by white sand to an angry brown sea with waves which churned into foamy walls of water that elevated themselves skywards and raced without ceasing to the shore, uprooting coconut trees and carting them in different directions.
Some homeowners tried to take advantage of the opportunity offered by the “lull” to secure their roofs, but in one instance the wind lifted both roof and owner across the sky, the latter to his demise.
In Scarborough, people scrambled to try to get home, but that was no simple undertaking because the damage to trees and buildings was extensive, and the enraged sea kept pumping water onto the land, to which was added the runoff from swollen rivers and streams, which accumulated in low-lying areas and made streams into rivers and rivers into lakes blocked with fallen trees, logs and debris.
Roads were impassable and vehicular traffic was impossible. People hopscotched their way to their homes, some attempting to clear some of the obstacles and assist others. Secondary-school students from the windward areas gathered at the corner of Main and Bacolet Streets, their usual transport hub, but none was available. They were offered food and shelter by the Armstrong family, who lived nearby.
Students from Mason Hall were able to walk home, but in addition to trees, logs and debris, the road was studded with boulders from the quarry and landslides. With help from adults, the children made it home.
Dark clouds and a hooting sound announced the arrival
