Today a story from NPR highlighted the current status of the disaster recovery and the focus on debris removal, listen at Removing Hurricane Debris Is A Top Priority In The Bahamas (4 minutes).
Individuals are usually motivated to clear out their homes of water-soaked furniture and carpets that many times have already started to mold. If the residents are not there and you have almost total destruction, the task of removing debris falls to government and volunteer agencies who provide disaster relief support.
One of the easiest ways to show progress in disaster recovery is to remove debris from the community. It is a significant visual element that reflects a measure of potential for the future. The problem with Marsh Harbour is that most residents have fled the community. For instance, there is no place to buy food. Without an operational food store, you are totally dependent upon relief agencies that are providing food — another element in the NPR story above.
I think the future of this community is questionable for the near term.
