PM Skerrit reflects on Dominica’s recovery and resilience nine years after Hurricane Maria

Dominica: The Dominica House of Assembly gathered for the second meeting of the fourth session of the eleventh Parliament on September 22, 2026, along with the newly-elected Member of Parliament for the Roseau North constituency, Ashma McDougall.

McDougall took the oath of allegiance following her victory in a September 7, 2026 by-election for the seat.

Prime Minister Dr. Roosevelt Skerrit congratulated her, describing her victory as a resounding victory for the Dominica Labour Party. He said the result showed the constituency's confidence in the party's leadership and vision for the country's development.

Other members, including Senator Paris and Dr. Henderson, also offered congratulations, with Henderson noting McDougall's earlier role as president of the National Youth Council.

The House also marked the ninth anniversary of Hurricane Maria and noted a series of financial and banking measures.

PM Skerrit delivered a statement on the ninth anniversary of Hurricane Maria, remembering the terrifying memories of Dominica on the night of September 18, 2017 with a Category 5 storm with winds exceeding 160 miles per hour.

“Nine years ago, on the night of September 18, 2017, Dominica went through hell,” the PM said.

He noted that 31 people died in the disaster and 34 still remain listed as missing, and asked for and was granted a moment of silence in the House for the victims.

“We lost 31 of our own fathers, mothers, grandmothers, children. 34 are still listed as missing. I have sat with families who never got to bury their loved ones. The pain, that pain remains and I ask your permission, Honourable Speaker, that this Honourable House rise for a moment of silence.”

Skerrit noted that after the storm 90 percent of houses on the island were damaged and more than 80 percent of the population was left homeless.

“The assessments showed 90% of all houses were damaged. Over 80% of our people were left homeless overnight,” he noted.

He further said the agriculture was wiped out entirely, with 80 percent of farmers and fisherfolk left without income overnight, and that the World Bank and United Nations put Dominica's total damage and loss at 226 percent of GDP.

“Overnight, 80% of our farmers and fisher folk had no income. Our food had to come in by boat. Our people who had always fed themselves from the land had to stand in line for food packs. The World Bank and the United Nations assessed our total damage and loss at 226% of our GDP. In one night, more than two years of everything we produce as a country was wiped out,” the Prime Minister noted.

Skerrit mentioned that 95 percent of schools were damaged, which left 10,000 children without classrooms for months, and that the government has since observed a rise in anxiety, hypertension and silent suffering among citizens affected by the storm.

“We saw a rise in anxiety, in hypotension, in silent suffering. Maria wounded our bodies, but it also wounded our minds,” he said.

While outlining the recovery, Skerrit announced that the government has built more than 3,000 climate-resilient homes and repaired over 7,000 roofs under the Housing Revolution programme.

“Through the housing revolution and with the support of the citizenship by investment program, we have built over 3,000 new climate resilient homes with every constituency impacted positively by this intervention.”

“We have repaired over 7,000 roofs. And we are still going.”

He noted that the government has rebuilt and repaired 35 health centres and the new Marigot Hospital, and supported more than 5,000 farmers with grants and equipment.

“We rebuilt and repaired 35 health centers and built a new Marigot hospital to resilient standards.”

“We gave seeds, tools, fertilizer, chickens, and cash grants to over 5,000 farmers,” he added.

Lastly, the Prime Minister noted that even though Maria took a lot from the Dominicans, it couldn’t take the spirit, unity and love for the nation.

“Hurricane Maria took a lot from us. But it could not take our spirit. It could not take our unity. It could not take our love for this Nature Isle. So may God bless our citizens who endured. May God bless those we lost and may God continue to bless and protect the Commonwealth of Dominica,” Skerrit announced.

Furthermore, the House also extended condolences on the death of Dessima John, widow of former prime minister Patrick John, and Anaclet Mara Frederick Thomas of Marigot Hospital.