Hurricane Dorian devastates student’s homelandSeptember 23, 2019

Approximately one month ago, on August 23, Breann Campbell arrived back in Midland looking forward to her last semester at Midland College (MC).  Little did she know that just one week later, the strongest-ever hurricane to hit land in the Atlantic would devastate her hometown of Freeport, Grand Bahama Island.

“I moved to Midland from Freeport in the fall of 2017 with my aunt who had accepted a job as a nurse at Midland Memorial Hospital,” explained Campbell.  “My parents and I thought that it would be a good opportunity for me to go to school in the United States, so I obtained a student visa in order to attend Midland College. 

“I went back to Freeport between semesters and in the summer to visit family, which is what I did this past May.  I just have one semester left to graduate with an associate degree.  When I arrived in Midland for my last semester, we knew there was a tropical storm in the Atlantic but had no idea that it would soon develop into a Category 5 hurricane.  Now, I have no idea what I will do in December when I graduate.  Freeport is no longer a functional city.”

Even though Campbell’s family home was spared from Hurricane Dorian’s destruction with only a little flooding, 45 percent of the homes were completely destroyed, according to recent news reports.  Damage is estimated to be over U.S. $7 billion, and there were at least 50 deaths in the country. 

“During the hurricane my parents and 81-year-old grandmother evacuated our home and stayed with my uncle who lives a little farther inland,” stated Campbell.  “Of course, the entire island is just 15 miles at its widest point north to south.  Even though my parents went inland, it still isn’t very far from the coastline.”

The National Weather Service reported that Sunday night, September 1, Hurricane Dorian hit Grand Bahama Island with howling 185 mile-per-hour winds. Then, it basically camped on the island. Dorian was moving to the west at just 1 mile per hour, subjecting Grand Bahama to nearly two full days of intense hurricane conditions. Wind gusts blew in excess of 200 mph — which is strong enough to blow a roof off a house. The storm generated 18-to-23 feet of coastal flooding. More than two feet of rain fell. 

Campbell receives news from family and friends in Freeport who say that the death toll is still rising as missing people are found dead.  Campbell said that a childhood friend with whom she sang in her high school choir drowned while clinging to a tree.

“We have family members who lost their homes, and even though my father has a carpentry business, there are no building supplies available to help people rebuild their homes,” said Campbell.  “The banks and most of the grocery stores are still closed, so there is no way to get money or food.  My mother said that they are still having to boil water for bathing because several dead bodies were found in the water supply.  Grand Bahama International Airport was destroyed, so there is no way to fly in or out of the island.  Thankfully, empty cruise ships are being used to transport food, water and basic staples to the island.”

A month ago, Freeport was the second-most popular Bahamian destination for cruise ships.  According to statistics published in the Nassau Guardian, approximately $1 million tourists visited the island each year.  Now, the only cruise ships visiting the island are those filled with supplies, rather than tourists.

Campbell’s family and friends have sent photos of the destruction.  Campbell says that the news coverage doesn’t do justice to all the devastation.  In fact, several of her family relatives are still missing.  Campbell is thankful that members of her immediate family are all doing as well as can be expected.

“My father is using his business truck, and he volunteers to help transport supplies from the cruise ships,” explained Campbell.  “When the hurricane hit, my brother had also just left to attend college in Daytona Beach.  My parents are now trying to find a way to get my grandmother out of the Bahamas.  Conditions are especially difficult for the elderly, and the rate of depression is extremely high.”

Campbell said that she is trying to stay positive and concentrate on the 18 credit hours she is taking at MC.

“My parents were all set to pay my tuition for this semester, but now they have no way to pay,” said Campbell.  “Thankfully, the people at Midland College have been so wonderful.  When I discovered that I wouldn’t have any money to attend school this semester, I was desperate and visited with the International Student Counselor, Shep Grinnan.  He put me in touch with Liz Zenteno [MC Career & Resource advisor] and Erin Casey-Richardson [MC associate director of scholarships].”

“During the first week in September, Shep and Liz approached me about helping Breanna with scholarship funding,” explained Casey-Richardson.  “Breann was all set to be on a payment plan, which meant that she would pay her tuition incrementally throughout the semester.  Even though I had already awarded most of our scholarship funding for the fall semester, I always save a little for students like Breann who find themselves in emergency situations.  Through MC’s General Scholarship fund, we were able to help Breann with a partial scholarship.  She has a part-time job working in the Jack E. Brown Dining Hall, so she is able to pay the remaining portion herself. 

“Breann is a hard worker and she now has the concern of her family struggling in Freeport, but she is committed to finishing her degree.  She has true potential, and I’m so glad that we are able to help her.”

Campbell is majoring in Biology and hopes to be able to transfer to a radiography technician program after she graduates from MC in December.

“I’d like to stay in Texas; in fact, I’d like to stay in Midland,” said Campbell.  “I love the climate and the people.  Hopefully, I will be able to get back to Freeport for Christmas, but I don’t think conditions will be much better by then.

“I feel helpless being stuck in Midland.  I want to help people in Freeport, but my mother told me that it is better for me to stay in Midland; if I went back, it would just be one more person needing food.  I’m also trying to help coordinate assistance through a GoFundMe account and by finding ways to get staples to Grand Bahama Island.  Prayers are also always welcome.”

Anyone wanting to assist can contact Breann Campbell at bcam375@gmail.com