In Guadeloupe such preparations for the storm proved lifesaving. On that island alone, 117 houses of Witnesses were destroyed, while nearly 300 houses of other Witnesses were severely damaged. In addition, 8 Kingdom Halls were badly damaged, while 14 others were less severely damaged.

Although several Witnesses were injured, none were killed, either in Guadeloupe or anywhere else in the Caribbean. The grown son of one of the Witnesses, however, was killed when he was literally sucked up by the wind that suddenly blew the roof off the house.

Not until the third day after the storm were fellow Witnesses finally able to make telephone contact with their brothers in Guadeloupe. In the meantime, however, traveling overseers and branch office personnel on the island met to organize a survey of the needs of their brothers, that is, their fellow Witnesses.

Soon water, food, clothing, and other necessities were being generously donated by those less seriously affected. Water was available at the branch office, and it was heartwarming to see brothers bring in all available containers, fill them, and then distribute them to those in need. Witnesses in Martinique were among the first from other countries to respond to the needs of their brothers in Guadeloupe.

Since Guadeloupe is under French control, Jehovah’s Witnesses in France quickly airfreighted to the island heavy plastic sheeting, nylon rope, and plastic cans for water. Shortly, some 100 metric tons of building supplies were shipped to Guadeloupe and immediately distributed.

Below: Jehovah’s Witnesses in Guadeloupe sorting donated food