By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

SUPER Value owner Rupert Roberts said on Thursday afternoon the area around his Golden Gates head office “looks like a war zone” after Hurricane Matthew’s passage, which damaged both his house and his business.

Mr Roberts confirmed the roof of Super Value’s East Street store had blown off and said “the city is destroyed”.

Category 4 Hurricane Matthew is the strongest hurricane to threaten the US Atlantic coast in more than a decade, battering the Bahamas with winds of up to 140mph on Thursday and hitting the most populous island. Raging winds and driving rain slammed the nation’s chain of islands from early Wednesday morning.

“It’s terrible,” Mr Roberts said. “I can’t really talk. We’ve got power off everywhere, and the city is destroyed.”

Mr Roberts said he had taken his family to ride out Matthew at Super Value’s Golden Gates head office, fearing that their homes on New Providence’s southern coast would be fully exposed to the storm surge.

“I am taking the advice to stay in,” Mr Roberts said. “Down in Golden Gates, it looks like a war zone. When I opened the back door on the balcony to let fresh air in, I couldn’t believe my eyes. It looks like the whole island is destroyed."

He told The Tribune that six lampposts in Super Value’s Golden Gates parking lot had been downed, while large trees had also been destroyed by Matthew’s winds.

Mr Roberts added that he had been “shocked” to be informed that the four-foot thick sea wall at his Yamacraw home had been claimed by the sea.

“I’m in shock. On one side of my house, the seaside, my workman tells me the four-foot thick sea wall there is missing,” Mr Roberts said.

“The ocean claimed it, the hurricane got it. I was shocked at that. I didn’t think we would have that kind of surge. What will be will be. We will rebuild. I"ll call you when we dig out of the hole.”