On July 1, Hurricane Beryl ripped through the Atlantic, devastating much of Caribbean nation St Vincent and the Grenadines. Union Island in particular saw 90% of its structures demolished by the catastrophic storm. Now, amidst the wreckage on the island stands a solitary, quaint yellow house, occupied by a lone man. The owner and sole resident is Joseph Franklyn, who refused to leave the house and relocate to a shelter during the onslaught of Hurricane Beryl.
"God give me this, I watched this build, and God will protect it. I am not moving. I am staying right here."
His neighbors, seeing the splinters of their homes left by the storm's wake, thought Franklyn, 60, dead.
He said he chose to stay in his home during the hurricane because of his faith in God. The house was built by members of the local Rocky Hill Seventh-day Adventist church to rescue him from the dilapidated hut in which he had previously lived.
Franklyn and members of his church attribute the home's survival to faith. Others question this line of reasoning and cite favorable construction practices- concrete foundation, superior craftsmanship, etc. The church isn't so sure, though
"We can't say it was built stronger than the others or the materials used were better because the base of the house is concrete, the bathroom is concrete, but the rest of the house is plywood, so I was surprised that it was standing because in Union I don't think there isn't a single plywood house that is standing," [Pastor Kenan] Cain said.
Natricia Duncan, The Guardian
For those undecided, do you believe in nondenominational miracles?
Previously:
• After Hurricane Katrina, years of post-traumatic stress: a first-person account
• Hurricane Aletta: 2018's first major Pacific storm already Category 4, no threat to land… yet
• Why hurricane maps do a terrible job of communicating the danger of a hurricane
