WATCH | Loss and disbelief hang over storm-shaken Għar Lapsi

A sense of loss and tragic nostalgia hangs over Għar Lapsi one day after it was battered by Storm Harry.

As I make my way to the picturesque site, I drive through southern localities with problems of their own due to the storm. 

Fallen trees, garbage strewn around, shaken rubble walls, and workers from the Cleansing Department clearing the streets of all sorts of debris are a common site. When my colleague told me to head to Għar Lapsi for a vox pop, I didn’t think there would be more than four people around. It's not a locality where people live permanently.

But when I arrive and make my way down the steep slope to the bay, I find at least 30 people with an expression of disbelief on their faces.

I am used to experiencing Għar Lapsi on clear summer days, where you would have to head there early just to find a place to put your towel down. Today it is unrecognisable. 

As our cameraman and videographer gets down to business, I start speaking to people while overhearing bits of conversations. It is clear that there is a sense of community among the people who frequent the area.

The first man I speak to tells me that he has been coming to Għar Lapsi since he was eight years old, as he points out his favourite spot of the area by the sea. “No one can stay there anymore… total loss.”

He echoes what is on the minds of most people who came down to the bay on Wednesday, when expressing his disbelief: “We’ve had storms before, but never like this.”

“Nothing is left here,” he says with tears in his eyes. “You can say this bay is finished forever.”

One man tells me that he was in his van in Għar Lapsi on Tuesday as he was worried about his boat. He describes seeing massive waves engulfing the area, adding that big rocks that made up the bay had been moved by the sea.

On the far end of the bay, I speak to a man who owns a garage that was dug into the rocks many decades ago. He walked us through what was left of his piece of paradise as he points out two boats that ended up lodged at the back of the cave.

We stand where a wall used to separate his garage from the one next door. Behind him is a cabinet full of glasses and mugs that managed to survive the flooding. They were full of sea water.

At 60 years old, he jokes that the first time he came to Għar Lapsi was when he was still in his mother’s womb.

He describes the unbearable feeling of anticipation as he made his way down to his property, early on Wednesday morning. “The disaster we found was indescribable,” he tells me.

A few metres away, a woman stands inside her own garage with thick doors that were bent out of shape by the force of the sea. Inside are two boats, photos on the wall, and other pieces of memorabilia. She tells me her husband likes to go fishing from Għar Lapsi.

She describes going to the garage every week in the summer to enjoy the sun. “This place [the garage] has been here since 1959, and the water never touched it.”

The woman says that she first saw Għar Lapsi after the storm on Facebook and she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. When she went down there herself, she was left speechless. “I’ve been coming here for 50 years, I don’t want to believe this.”

Public Works assessing damage

Apart from concerned garage owners and lovers of Għar Lapsi, one could also see people with clipboards and others wearing high visibility jackets taking stock of the damage. 

At one point, Parliamentary Secretary for Public Works Omar Farrugia appears in his own high visibility jacket, speaking to affected owners.

He tells MaltaToday that the Public Works Department assessed the area on Wednesday morning to ensure that it is safe. “We are speaking with the local council about the way forward in giving a new life to Għar Lapsi.”

Farrugia seems optimistic on the future of Għar Lapsi, saying: “It is our duty and our interest that we listen and consult with these people.”

Until remedial works take place to restore public access, the current state of destruction is an ominous reminder that what nature giveth, it can take back in an instant. And this is probably the biggest realisation that emerges from Storm Harry, even if a very painful one.