London couple caught up in Hurricane Maria survive night barricaded in hotel

Hurricane Maria: Michael Morrison, 37, and Ricky De Faria, 35, who are holidaying in Punta Cana
Family handout
Hatty Collier22 September 2017

A London family caught up in Hurricane Maria survived the night barricaded in their hotel in the Dominican Republic.

Hurricane Maria whipped through the Caribbean country on Thursday bringing severe storm conditions to Punta Cana, a popular tourist destination on the eastern most tip of Hispaniola.

It brushed through the Dominican Republic as a Category 3 storm, downing power lines and toppling trees. Boats were strewn amid the debris from houses and other buildings.

Michael Morrison, 37, an account manager from Hornchurch, is on holiday in Punta Cana with his partner Ricky De Faria, 35, who he lives with in London, his sister, her partner and their parents.

Michael Morrison (right), 37, and his partner Ricky De Faria, 35, have a drink while on holiday in Punta Cana
Family handout

He spent 24 hours barricaded into a room with 400 other guests at the Dreams Hotel as the storm swept through the island.

Mr Morrison, who was on holiday with the family to celebrate his parents’ birthdays, said they could hear the wind crashing against the walls and that his sister and her partner had to be moved as part of the ceiling came down on them during the night.

He told the Standard: “It was quite scary throughout the night. We were locked into a hall which was very secure yet you could hear the wind crashing against the walls continuously - it sounded like we were living in the blitz.

“At the time it was so intense you could literally taste the atmosphere in the room. This morning there was more a sense of relief, especially amongst the Brits in the room.

“They opened the doors a couple of hours before we could leave so we could get some air as the air con had didn't work at all throughout the might and as you can imagine with several hundred people in one room, everyone was soaked with sweat.

Damage to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Family handout

“We got to see outside and there was debris all over the floor. The hotel manager said we couldn't go back to the complex yet as it wasn't safe and the power and water had been cut and most of the public areas and hotel rooms were flooded.

“We were waiting with baited breath to find out if our belongings were ruined. Everyone cheered and clapped the hotel staff for their amazing hospitality at this terrible time, especially as they didn't and still don't know what they will go home to or how their loved ones are.”

Mr Morrison said that after the storm, the grounds of the hotel were swamped lakes, the pools replaced with sea water, trees uprooted and the hotel rooms flooded.

Hurricane Maria - In pictures

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“When the hotel manager said we could leave there was a thunderous applause and everyone shook his hand and thanked the staff. Everyone was anxious to get back to their rooms to see what damage was done and if their belongings were ruined. Now people are just walking around aimlessly looking at the damage.”

He said the family planned to celebrate his father’s birthday and celebrate the fact they were safe.

Hurricane Maria ravaged Puerto Rico and Dominica earlier this week, flooding towns, crushing homes and leaving millions of people without power.

Maria’s death toll across the Caribbean has climbed to at least 23, many of them on the hard-hit island of Dominica.

The US National Hurricane Centre said the eye of the storm is near the Turks and Caicos islands while rains and dangerous high waves are starting to subside along the northern coast of Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

The storm is east-north-east of Grand Turk Island moving north-west at 7mph.

The Category 3 hurricane has maximum sustained winds near 125mph but gradual weakening is expected during the next two days.

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