In the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan in Grand Cayman, Terri Merren was moved by the dramatic stories of the survivors she met around the devastated island.
Often reduced to tears by their harrowing tales, or awed by their courage and fortitude, she felt compelled to record their stories and photograph the destruction.
Terri then turned these recordings into a book aptly named ‘Hurricane Ivan Survival Stories’.
IMPORTANT DOCUMENTATION
This book is now an important documentation of the storm, and the days and weeks that followed, as the people of Grand Cayman struggled with the very basic needs of survival.
“Everywhere I went, it seemed that everyone was comparing stories of what they went through during the storm – most of whom had very close calls and, by the grace of God, survived,” says Terri.
“It occurred to me that as many of these stories as possible needed to be documented for posterity, so that our children’s children would know the impact that Ivan had on us.”
Terri, who moved to Cayman in 1984 to wed Greg Merren, whom she had met when he attended college in her hometown in the United States, was devastated by the destruction all around her.
“The book was a source of therapy for me, and I think also for the people whose stories are in it,” she says.
“A large portion of the profits from the book were contributed to the restoration fund which had been set up for those who had lost their homes during the storm. This gave me a feeling of great satisfaction.”
RECORDING THE STORIES
A keen photographer, Terri took pictures before, during and after the storm, and then she began to interview people and record their experiences.
“I was amazed at how willing people were to share their stories,” she says. “I know it could not have been easy for most, some having had near-death experiences during the storm.”
Using a Dictaphone, Terri recorded the stories in people’s homes or workplaces, and a couple while giving them a ride home in her car.
Once electricity had been restored, she transcribed the stories into a Word document on her home computer.
Terri sold around 4,500 copies of the book with many more given away to the people it featured, as well as to schools, libraries and the Cayman Islands National Archives.
PERSONAL MEMORIES
Terri’s own most enduring memory of the storm is of sheltering with her family at the top of the Citrus Grove building, which has hurricane proof windows.
“We could see everything going on outside; the thick, grey wind, the flooding, the roofs flying off, and so on,” she says. “Seeing this and listening to the cries of people over the marine radios that were in the office, and on Radio Cayman, was very traumatic for all of us. I’ll never forget that.”
She and her husband were also left without an income for a long time after their business premises flooded, but they were just glad that they, their family and friends had survived.
Now, 20 years on from the hurricane, Terri feels her book is as relevant as it was two decades ago.
“I’m hoping the stories will continue to educate people on what to expect during and after a hurricane of this magnitude and how to be prepared,” she says. “Also, hopefully the book will show people who weren’t around for Ivan, the harsh conditions we suffered through, and how hard everybody worked to bring this beautiful country back to what it was before the storm.”
“Hopefully the book will show people who weren’t around for Ivan, the harsh conditions we suffered through.” – Terri Merren
The cover photograph on Terri’s book is of a configuration of dead fish that resemble the formation of a hurricane as seen on satellite imagery. She took the shot in North Sound four days after the storm, from the family’s boat on which they were living while their house was repaired.
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