Continuing with their assessment of areas affected by Hurricane Matthew to bring some relief with recovery and restoration, Prime Minister Perry Christie along with Captain Stephen Russell and a team from NEMA took to the streets yesterday in southern New Providence to assess the damage residents received to their homes and property almost two weeks ago.

They were accompanied by Labour Minister and National Hurricane Coordinator Shane Gibson, Minister of State for Finance Michael Halkitis, and Minister of the Environment and Housing as well as Member of Parliament for Southern Shores Kenred Dorsett,

In particular, the prime minister and his team stopped in areas of Adelaide Village and Marshall Road, to take in personally what the residents had to endure.

“As we move in the areas where people live, Marshall Road, South Beach and going east, there have been extraordinary levels of devastation to homes,” Mr. Christie said.

Mr. Christie also spoke of the devastation that the islands of Andros, in particular Lowe Sound and Grand Bahama received.

“When you see the utter devastation of West End and Lowe Sound you’ll see that really New Providence is just a walk in the park, but in every household there is a human story. People have been placed in harm’s way by an incredible loss,” he said.

Residents of these areas are still reeling from Hurricane Matthew, who said that the experience was very traumatic for them.

“I have experienced Matthew, it was really horrific and I don’t ever, ever want to experience that ever again, to sit and watch the surge rise was a horrific experience” resident of Pascal Gardens,” Tanya Burrows said.

Mrs. Burrows stated that she and her family of four were at home during the storm and that it was really rough, but she is grateful to God that they made it through.

When asked about the recovery and restoration, Mrs. Burrows stated that she is seeking assistance from NEMA and her insurance agency to recover and renovate her home.

“Day by day we are trying to restore and get back to normal, we are insured but it takes a while to get everything sorted,” Mrs. Burrows said.

She also indicated that she is grateful that light was just restored to her residence on Sunday evening.

However, Marshall Road residents said that they are still without electricity, and there are still fallen trees in and around their properties.

One resident in particular, Diane Culmer, noted that although she and her family didn’t heed the warnings to evacuate they still need a lot of help as they have been completely devastated.

“We have sewer, we have salt water, we have pond water and fresh water all combined,” Ms. Culmer said.

“I live right on the beach and everything in my house is gone. I cannot start any restoration we are still without light,” she said.

Prime Minister Christie concluded that it has been recognized that a more organized approach is needed in the recovery and restoration process.

This, he said, will be done through the help of Urban Renewal that will be integrated into the process to ensure accountability and fairness.