There is very little I can possibly say about Hurricane Irma which can capture its intensity, its destruction, and its utterly overwhelming impact on the vulnerable community of Coral Bay.  We suffered a direct hit from the most intense hurricane in Atlantic Ocean history.  Virtually every structure in Coral Bay suffered significant damage with many homes torn to splinters.

There was no communication, no power, no fuel.  Many were without food or water.

The first responders to Coral Bay arrived by boat from Puerto Rico and St Croix.  Having heard of our devastation a flotilla of private craft arrived with jugs of diesel, with potable water, dried foods, medical supplies.  It took several days for roads to be barely passable.

The sound of helicopters landing on the ball field in Coral Bay was constant as the elderly, sick and injured were transported to safety.

And then it struck us … if there had been a mega yacht marina in Coral Bay it would have been torn to pieces and the harbor would not have been passable for emergency supplies.  The roadway would have been ripped out as the boardwalk collapsed, and the stench of spilled fuel and waste products would have been pervasive.  That Summers End Marina, would have been the death of Coral Bay.