Why did many people leave Dominica after Hurricane David in 1979?

Many people left Dominica following Hurricane David in 1979 because the storm caused catastrophic damage to the island's infrastructure and economy. The hurricane largely destroyed the banana crop, which served as the island's economic mainstay, and stripped away most of the topsoil, effectively wiping out the country's agricultural base.12

This disaster exacerbated an existing trend of out-migration that had been occurring throughout the 1970s, culminating in a massive exodus of the population. The economic devastation left by the storm, which was further compounded by Hurricane Allen the following year, created significant hardship that drove many residents to seek opportunities elsewhere.312