But one thing not even those PUDP mayors could save is a ramshackle old house on Eve Street. It's a shotgun style wooden three storey house, likely built in the early part of last century. It's as rickety as a structure can be without just falling to pieces. But, somehow - even as Hurricane Lisa tried to finally shatter it, and the storm surge battered it - when the storm moved on, the shotgun structure still stood, slightly the worse for wear, but it's been like that for decades. Cherisse Halsall spoke to residents:...
All week we've been showing you blown-off roofs and obliterated walls of small often poorly constructed houses. But tonight we want to turn out attention to this house.
One that's likely to have endured many, many hurricanes. And even though it was unlikely. It survived Lisa too.
Hon. John Briceno, Prime Minister
"Look at the old house that was falling part."
Yesterday when we went to go look at what's left of the structure we spoke to one young man whose family still lives there.
Jose Luis Ortiz, Lives In Old House
"We go somewhere else to shelter like to another friend's house or so, so we just wouldn't stay here."
Cherisse Halsall:
"When you came back after the storm what did you see here?"
Jose Luis Ortiz, Lives In Old House
"This, mess but still I see the house still standing so it's surprising than you know and then just having the dirt and stuff around and then we just go to clean it, yeah but this, this house is it's really I don't know how but it's just still standing."
"Yeah this one no it's like really time for it to not stay here no more. Not live in there anymore."
Cherisse Halsall:
"Now, it seems that during this hurricane there was a big hole created here on this wall, what have you done to kind of build that back up?"
Jose Luis Ortiz, Lives In Old House
"Just set some plywood and thing on the side so that it doesn't, the breeze or anything can't vet in but we just put like new like posts and so so that it can sustain that side."
But at this point, there is no small or quick fix that will sustain the old house for long Jose Luis's father Marco doesn't believe the house will make it to see the next major storm.
Marco Ortiz, Lives in Old House
"I barely know this house from 2000 until here from 2000 to now I can tell you the story, no but before that, no. I wasn't here."
"It was already like this as you see. It already looked bad and it was already in this condition but it has become worse and now and now it's worse. It was already when I came to this place. It was the building was still straight, upright but now with the hurricanes. What was the name of the one that came before."
Cherisse Halsall:
"Richard?"
Marco Ortiz, Lives in Old House
"No."
Cherisse Halsall:
"Earl?"
Marco Ortiz, Lives in Old House
"That one Earl. That's when it started it left the house like this to one side and now with this, what was it called, THis Lisa. This now has already laid down more and it's set to fall now."
Cherisse Halsall:
"How much longer do you think you'll be able to stay here?"
Marco Ortiz, Lives in Old House
"Well, not much more not more than this month, the month no more. Like we can't I this condition be here anymore. We have to take this down now."
But while this house's glory days are far behind it. We had to marvel at its strength. Even though it lost a major part of it's outer facade to Lisa. Somehow, it's still standing.
Cherisse Halsall:
"These houses were built so well, how do you feel about the technique that they had in those times?"
Marco Ortiz, Lives in Old House
"Well, it was really good, great, really well constructed by people that yes, knew what they were doing."
