John’s Hall flood leaves residents suffering loss

WESTERN BUREAU:

Ricardo Chambers left his car at a community garage in John’s Hall, St James, on Saturday morning before heading to work. However, he did not imagine that the next time he would see the vehicle would be on a video, being washed away by floodwaters.

“I was at work and saw it on a video skating down the toll,” a lighthearted Chambers told The Gleaner on Sunday morning.

Chambers is one of the many John’s Hall residents who are left to pick up the pieces after Saturday afternoon’s heavy rainfall. The residents were severely impacted by floodwaters as consistent rainfall caused a nearby river to overflow its banks and flood the community. The area also experienced land slippage, and broken trees have downed electric wires in sections of the community.

However, Chambers is grateful that no lives were lost during the disastrous event. When The Gleaner visited John’s Hall on Sunday, Chambers, along with some other men, was busy pulling the damaged vehicle from the riverbank. Other residents were observed sweeping mud from their yards and the roadway, and a tractor removed large debris from the river.

Chambers shared that this was the second major tragedy he has experienced since 2022 when he lost his home to a fire.

“In God we trust. I know how the pain feels, and right now, this is vanity. I feel [overwhelmed], but at least I can go home and sleep tonight. That is the greatest thing,” he said.

Though appearing to be emotionally strong, Chambers explained that he was disappointed by the damage caused to his Toyota motor car as he was preparing it for sale.

“We have to smile in certain circumstances because it is just life, but mi frighten and start fret same time because I just put a ‘For sale’ sign on, and I had better plans. I was going to sell it and buy something else. But the greatest thing is that I am working, and I am not lazy, so in God we trust. I can’t leave out God because He knows what He is doing,” he told The Gleaner.

‘A great loss’

At the same time, Joyce Tingling, a hairdresser in John’s Hall, said she, too, has experienced “a great loss”. Tingling, also a resident of the community, was inside her board shop with a few clients when the rain started on Saturday afternoon. Noting that the parish has been experiencing consistent rainfall all week, she said nothing could have prepared them for what came next.

“We closed the door because whenever it rains, water beats on the front door. There was a little girl inside here, and she went to the window to look outside. She then said, ‘Oh my God! Aunty Joyce, the water is coming up to the bridge’. Another customer looked out there and said it was true,” Tingling recounted.

She further shared that the women, while thinking quickly on their feet, exited the building through a side window.

“When she looked through the window, the water was coming up, so we couldn’t do anything but run out. We couldn’t go through the front door because we knew that water was around there,” she said.

“Everything got messed up. I am so traumatised,” Tingling added.

In the meantime, Tingling’s husband, Leo, is hoping to recover her appliances and furniture that got wet inside the shop on Saturday.

“Wul heap of things get damaged. We nuh sure ‘bout the fridge and the other appliances, but mi pull dem up already fi mek the sun dry dem out,” he said.

Furthermore, Jacqueline Dryden, a John’s Hall resident, told The Gleaner that it was her first time experiencing such flooding in the 58 years she has been living in the community. Dryden’s home is located directly beside the river, which flows through the community.

“My bed is gone, my stove is gone, and a couple of my food items are gone. It’s the first time I’m seeing such a [major] flooding. The whole house flood out. Right now mi not even have shoes fi put pon my foot, and the other bed wet up, too. Mi see all car wash weh and tree stump inna road. The water even ketch me at my waist,” Dryden bemoaned.

rochelle.clayton@gleanerjm.com