When Hurricane Maria’s 160 mile per hour winds struck Dominica “head on” on September 18, 2017, the island was devastated. The Category 5 storm claimed lives on the Carib-bean island. Most of the trees were stripped of their leaves, and the island was left covered with downed trees and debris several feet deep. Most of the homes and buildings, including the hospital and the Prime Minister’s dwelling, lost their entire roofs or the roofs were damaged. “Everything is gone,” said Floyd resident Gaynell Larsen. “There is no vegetation. They say it is the worst devastation since Hurricane David (in 1979).” For Gaynell and husband David who first visited Dominica in 1997 and have been taking supplies and giving other support there almost 30 times in the past 20 years, the island is a special place. “It’s like home, and they’re like family,” Gaynell commented. What this tiny island and others around it are going through is heartbreaking, she added. Every power line is down. Food and water are needed. All of the food above ground bananas, grapefruit, oranges, and yams – are gone, Gaynell commented. “We’re just hoping we can get more food over there.” Tarps are also needed for the houses. Supplies are getting to the capital of Roseau, which has 2-3 feet of mud in the stores, Gaynell said, but there is no way to distribute supplies to the other areas. “Roads are blocked so there is no way to get from village to village as of the past week.” Mudslides have isolated some of the areas, including in Wotton Waven, where the Larsens stay when they visit the island. Communication needs are also priorities during this time. Several amateur radio groups have come forward to help – DERA (Disaster Emergency Response Association) and the Larsens’ FAIRS (Founda-tion for Amateur International Radio Service) will be ending radio and solar charger tn Dominica Brian   Acheson and his wife Michelle Guenard have monitored the radio communications from Vermont and helped with broadcasting reports of damage. The couple has helped with training of new hams on the island which proved to be very helpful during this time of disaster. The Larsens are also taking donations, preferably monetary contributions that will be sent to a friend, Josanna Lockhart Brown, a pastor on the island of Antigua. Josanna will then buy food, water and medical supplies (including bandaids, Ibuprofen and antibiotic cream) and have them transported by ferry  to Dominica. The Larsens first met Josanna when she was a teen growing up in Dominica. She started the Kids for Christ group and DAD (Dominicans Against Drugs) in Castle Bruce. She and her husband Orlando are both pastors in Antigua; they have two children Antigua is also helping the residents of Barbuda, which were evacuated to Antigua after Hurricane Irma struck last month. There are 21 new amateur radio license operators on Dominica with radios, but they don’t have solar charges. Thus the shipment going to them makes a big difference. “Where we live the antenna blew down, but we had a portable reserve antenna,” Gaynell said. Solar panels on the house survived the hurricane, so friend Clement Pierre Louis, who lives there with wife Hetty, can keep his radio charged and get updates to the Larsens and others. FAIRS, a non-profit, 501 (c) (3) organization, is accept-ing donations for the island. For more information or to make a donation, call 7450322, or mail to FAIRS, (memo — for Dominica relief), P.O. Box 179, Floyd, VA 24091.