Effects of Hurricane Ivan in The Lesser Antilles and South America - Aftermath

Aftermath

The government of Barbados created a Hurricane Ivan Housing Recovery Project, which repaired or rebuilt 190 houses for people without the available funds; around 90 homes required minor immediate repairs, while the rest required significant reconstruction. The project finished in early 2006 for a total of $5 million (2004 BBD, ($6.15 million 2013 USD).

Several nearby countries assisted Grenada in its aftermath. The government of Guyana shipped about $250,000 (2004 USD, $40 million 2004 GYD) worth of sugar, as well as 100 members of the Guyana Defense Force to assist in restoring order and reconstruction. The government of Trinidad & Tobago sent 190 policemen, and the government of Anguilla sent 1,230 cases of water. A committee of Caribbean nations realized the local governments could not provide the support that Grenada needed in its aftermath, and thus turned to international assistance. Within a day of Ivan passing to the south of Grenada, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) deployed 67,600 gallons of water, 500 rolls of plastic sheeting, four 10,000 liter water bladder kits, and a water treatment kit; assistance from USAID totaled $6 million (2004 USD) within a few weeks of the storm's passage, primarily in aid for reconstruction and rehabilitation. In the weeks subsequent to the hurricane, the European Commission Humanitarian aid Office (ECHO) provided €3 million (2004 EUR). By a year later, housing redevelopments and disaster preparation problems continued after being impacted by Hurricane Emily; as a result, the ECHO provided €1.2 million (2005 EUR) to Grenada in September 2005. Nine months after the hurricane, Chinese officials provided assistance in reconstruction and handling foreign debts after meeting with the Grenadian Prime Minister; in 2007, Chinese officials funded the construction of a new $40 million (2007 USD) cricket stadium near St. George's. The Caribbean Development Bank approved a $10 million loan (2004 USD) requested by the government of Grenada in July 2005, which was intended to assist in long-term development of the housing, business, and environmental sectors. Emergency operations in Grenada in coordination with the Pan American Disaster Response Unit ended in July 2005.

Within a few days after the hurricane passed, the Grenada Emergency Operations Center temporarily prevented relief supplies from entering the country to ensure the safety of the incoming items; the decision was reversed shortly thereafter, and planes flew supplies during daylight hours into the reopened airport. Severe looting occurred in the immediate aftermath of Ivan, prompting police officials to enact a curfew for the night hours. In the first week following the hurricane, aid was slow to the affected residents, due to the lack of an efficient aid distribution system. 30 official shelters and 17 prepared ones housed over 5,000 people in the aftermath of the storm. Thousands of people lost their jobs due to the hurricane, with all businesses shut down following the hurricane. By two months after the hurricane struck, 65 schools were opened, some of which serving as shelters; water and power were gradually restored to the island. By a year after the storm's passage, all schools were reopened, and most buildings enacted provisional repairs. Officials determined around 10,000 houses on the island required complete reconstruction, while a further 22,000 needed repairs. The government of Grenada initially planned to rebuild 1,000 houses in the year after the hurricane struck; by June 2005, 260 families were provided houses, with a further 85 under construction. The government also established a Material Assistance Programme, which provided $5,000 (2004 XCD) of free materials to more than 5,000 families, as well as a total of $4.3 million (2004 XCD) in low interest loans to 148 families. Several indirect fatalities occurred in the aftermath of the hurricane, primarily senior citizens.