The Little Island That Could

Turks & Caicos Sporting Club at Ambergris Cay Fights IKE


NEW YORK, Sept. 11 /CNW/ -- As the world knows, the Caribbean has been
subjected to a powerful hurricane over the last few days. Hurricane Ike struck
Ambergris Cay with category 4 sustained winds of 140 mph and gusts exceeding
160 mph. The eye of this storm passed directly over Ambergris Cay, and proved
to be the ultimate test of the skill, foresight and planning of DPS Sporting
Club Development Company and its people.
Our little island emerged from that fierce storm with only superficial
damage and not a single injury to our people. The state of the art
infrastructure; the skill in planning; the quality of construction and the
expertise of some of the world's most talented staff had created the Little
Island that could face a storm like Ike and emerge with mere scratches and
chips.
"Nearly 50 years have passed where the Turks & Caicos Islands have
remained untouched from a substantial hurricane", says The Honorable Dr.
Michael Misick, Premier of Turks & Caicos Islands. "The fact that Turks &
Caicos Sporting Club walked out of Hurricane Ike with all infrastructure and
homes in great shape is testimony of the high level of planning, engineering
and construction of the services and structures on Ambergris Cay."
Thorough reports from Ambergris Cay confirm that all infrastructures on
the island are intact and running, including power generators and desalination
facilities. There is no structural damage, only minor accessory loss (signage
and lighting), road erosion, simple sand-blasting, uprooted planted
landscaping and blown debris. In preparation for the storm, utilities were
voluntarily shut off and are now operating at 100% normalcy. With virtually no
damage overall, the repair work has already begun and we expect to be fully
open within a week.
Turks & Caicos Sporting Club prides itself on superior construction as
all structures meet or exceed U.S. Hurricane Building Standards. Since its
inception, Turks & Caicos Sporting Club has honored a Hurricane Preparedness
Plan that is continuously updated with the introduction of each new amenity
and homesite.
"We'd like to specifically pay tribute to the Ambergris Cay staff as the
training, unprecedented teamwork and commendable organization prepared this
island to walk away victorious," says Pat Worsham, Managing Director of DPS
Sporting Club Management. "From staff to club management, the Hurricane
Preparedness Plan was flawlessly executed."
The Sporting Club is also personally supporting Turks & Caicos Island's
relief efforts by transporting supplies to other islands such as South Caicos
and Grand Turk, ensuring Ambergris Cay's role in community outreach for an
efficient country-wide recovery. As clean-up continues and spirits remain
incredibly high, Turks & Caicos Sporting Club is open for business and
welcoming members and their families back to the safety and beauty that is
Ambergris Cay.

Courtesy of Groupe CNW