Hurricane Luis

St Maarten was one of the islands worst hit by Hurricane Luis in Sept 1995. Six people were killed, damage of US$1bn was reported and at least 2,000 people lost their jobs in the tourist industry when hotels and about 300 yachts were smashed.

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The shanty towns housing Haitians and Dominicans (many of them illegal immigrants) were flattened and the Government moved quickly to bulldoze the remains, offering jobs and a tent camp for those with papers and deportation for those without. Rebuilding of public buildings, including the hospital, started quickly; cruise ships returned in October but the airport was closed to commercial traffic until November. Only a third of all the private homes were insured, while others (including the Dawn Beach Resort) were victims of a crooked insurance broker who disappeared with their premiums. Only half the island’s hotel rooms were open for the winter season and several resorts remained closed in 1998. The hurricane highlighted low building standards and dodgy construction practices, particularly with newer houses. A few years on and Phillipsburg looks better than before the storms. Most sunken yachts have been cleared out of the lagoon and damaged boats have been repaired.

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