Greetings to the residents of Grand Turk :
 
I have watched the news reports and live feeds regarding the aftermath of Hurricane Ike and the damage it brought to your beautiful islands.  I lived in South Florida in 1992 when Hurricane Andrew brought devastation to South Miami and Homestead.  From my experience there, I can tell you it will be rough for a while.  But do not despair, because recovery usually is faster than anyone would believe based upon the "day after" images we see of the damage.

For a glimpse of how it was in Miami in 1992 you can log onto youtube and request "Hurricane Andrew 1992 The Aftermath" by "ultimafuelie", and "Hurricane Andrew Part 2" by "MadRevolt".  As bad as it was there, within a year most people were back in their homes, and most businesses were up and running.  By the end of the 2nd year outsiders would not have known such a major hurricane had devastated the area (locals knew since they knew what was lost and remember the trees and vegetation that had yet to regrow).

The miracle of South Dade's rebirth was brought about by not only a strong will to rebuild, but also a strong partnership between the people, the government, businesses, and the local media.
Grand Turk is blessed with many businesses and institutions (the cruise port, tourism, government seat) that have a vested interest in seeing the island restored quickly.  The smaller size of the islands  should make the rebuilding task easier to handle.  If everyone makes a united effort to rebuild, Grand Turk should follow the "Miami model" to success.

As a bonus, rebuilding usually results in a better place long-term.  Rebuilding may also spark a mini-boom once things get cracking.  The bottom line:  once the initial shock and gloom have passed, you should get your paradise back much faster than you think, and better too.
 
Best of luck
 
Steve M.

Akron, Ohio