Two British naval ships have sailed in to restore normality to the Caribbean island of Grenada after it bore the brunt of Hurricane Ivan – and at one point the island was effectively being run from the frigate HMS Richmond.

Ivan is thought to be the worst hurricane to hit the island in 50 years, rivalling Hurricane Janet of 1955 which wreaked havoc across Grenada.

HMS Richmond, along with tanker RFA Wave Ruler, had originally sailed on September 1 from a visit to Barbados to get into position and prepare to help the Turks and Caicos Islands, which were expected to be struck by Hurricane Frances.

That storm passed to the north-east of the islands, only causing minor damage, and the Portsmouth-based Type 23 frigate helped the Governor to assess the damage by flying him around the area in her Lynx helicopter.

The two ships were then detached from hurricane relief duties and headed for Curacao, but after just seven hours in port, Tropical Storm Ivan was declared a hurricane and the ships were at sea again, heading for Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago and Grenada to help out where needed.

The track of the storm, which reached the highest rating of a Category Five, indicated Grenada would suffer most, so the ships made a fast passage to a point from which they could provide practical support as soon as the winds and worst of the storm had abated.

Hurricane Ivan hit the capital of Granada, St George’s, very hard, demolishing houses, blocking roads and tearing down power and telephone lines.

The island’s Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) and Prime Minister’s residence were destroyed, and the prison and several schools were badly damaged. A temporary EOC had to be set up in a truck adjacent to the main police station on Richmond Hill.

The Governor of Grenada said the priority was to restore power to the island’s hospital, which had also lost its roof in winds which hit 125mph, so parties from both British ships went ashore as soon as possible, and repaired the hospital’s emergency generators, restoring essential power. They also cleared a road to the hospital.

Other RN and RFA personnel managed to clear the airport runway, allowing emergency relief flights to land and also made it possible for the British High Commissioner from Barbados and consular staff to fly in to help locate and repatriate British nationals, including Virgin holidaymakers on the island.

Back at the hospital the emergency wards were soon back in action, and the hospital’s stock of basic supplies and drugs were replenished from the ships.

First aiders from Richmond and Wave Ruler also tended a number of casualties and escorted them to hospital.

The Grenadan Prime Minister, Dr Keith Mitchell, was flown in Richmond’s Lynx on a reconnaissance flight to see the damage left by Hurricane Ivan, and was then taken to the Governor General’s residence for an emergency meeting of the Grenadan cabinet.

HMS Richmond also arranged for Dr Mitchell to make a broadcast to the island on the BBC World Service using the frigate’s communications systems, and the capability was also put to good use by the chief disaster co-ordinator, who is based on board, and who liaised with authorities ashore.

A ship’s team of technicians helped repair the island’s radio station to allow the resumption of local broadcasting.

Boat patrols from the ships toured the marinas of St George’s to reassure Brits and relay messages to anxious relatives back in the UK.

The British High Commissioner to Grenada, Vic Wallis, and his wife stayed on board Richmond while RN experts worked on restoring power and carrying out emergency repairs to his residence.

Hurricane Ivan, which is thought to have killed at least 20 people, has now moved on and slightly decreased in strength to a Category Four.

However, as it approaches Jamaica, forecasters are warning it could strengthen to Category Five status again, with winds of up to 160mph, and inhabitants of the island are reported to be battening down the hatches and stocking up on emergency supplies.

Cuba is also on the alert, and residents of the Florida Keys in the United States could be forced to evacuate – if Ivan strikes the state it will be the third major storm to hit Florida in just over a month.