'Wilma experience won't stop my travel' (From Gazette Series)

'Wilma experience won't stop my travel'

A GAZETTE employee who became stranded in a Cuban resort when hurricane Wilma struck this week has not been put off travelling.

Sarah Standing, who works in property sales, returned from her holiday on Tuesday night much to the relief of friends, family and work colleagues.

The 19-year-old had been at the Jibacoa resort in Cuba enjoying a week's holiday with her boyfriend Jake Brookes and his parents when the news broke that the formidable hurricane was on its way.

"It was really strange because the sea was so clam but on the television weather reports it said that this hurricane was building and they weren't sure which direction it was going to take," she said on Wednesday. "Lucky for us it went around Cuba."

Sarah said up-dates on the hurricane's progress were few and far between over the weekend and that she and her companions, along with hundreds of other British tourists, had to wait anxiously to see whether they were in Wilma's path.

"The people at our resort didn't really know that much because the weather we were watching was American but they took precautions anyway.

"We were given a letter about what to do if the hurricane hit which was to get to the disco hall at the resort," she said.

"They also taped up all the windows, brought all the outdoor furniture inside and advised us not to do any water sports or go for any walks."

It was not until Monday morning, however, that the holidaymakers felt the full effects of Wilma's wind.

Sarah said: "There were mangoes and coconuts everywhere. The sea had come right in and the rain was really heavy.

"At one point I thought the patio doors were going to smash because they just kept rattling."

Hurricane Wilma began building force last Tuesday, October 18 and took almost a week to sweep through the Caribbean, across the Gulf of Mexico before finally heading out into the Atlantic ocean.

The south Yucatan peninsula of Mexico, the north coast of Cuba and the Florida Keys all took a battering from high winds and severe flooding. The final death toll is not yet known but seven people are known to have died.

Sarah, of Slimbridge, and her party were due to fly home on Monday but found themselves stranded at their resort until Wednesday because Havana airport was closed.

They were, however, able to keep in contact with concerned relatives back in Britain.

"I had my mobile so I could text my mum and dad and let them know I was okay," Sarah explained.

When asked how she found the experience, she said it was both scary and interesting but in no way had it put her off visiting the Caribbean in the future.

Amazingly, she was back at work at the Gazette's head office in Dursley on Wednesday morning.

* 2005 has been a year of lucky escapes for the Standing family. In July this year Sarah's sister ....... was staying in a London hostel outside which a bus was exploded by a terrorist bomb. Despite the ferocity of the blast, which killed several people in the street, no-one in the hostel was badly hurt.