‘Disaster waiting to happen’ - 60-y-o woman fears deteriorating house might fall like a ton of bricks

A 60-year-old St Catherine resident is in desperate need of help to save the structure she has called home for almost 30 years.

Ronica Graham, a grandmother, said that the deterioration in the building’s structural strength has worsened over the last two years and is getting more dangerous with each passing day.

“I have been asking for assistance from several persons, including relatives, but they also have problems and are unable to help,” Graham said of the house, which is located in Burke Hill, Redwood district.

The June 1 start of the Atlantic hurricane season has increased Graham’s anxiety, as she highlighted steel protruding from sections of the home.

Graham believes that the four-apartment dwelling is on the verge of collapse, a situation that could be exacerbated if flood rains hit during a hurricane season projected to be active. Word from chairman of the St Catherine Municipal Corporation, Norman Scott, that checks will be done can’t come soon enough.

“This is very bad, and I really need help now,” she told The Gleaner recently.

“This house started to collapsed from an earthquake,” Graham said.

Sunday’s predawn magnitude 4.0 tremor, which rattled several parishes across Jamaica, would be cause for more concern for Graham that time is running out.

The epicentre of the earthquake was around eight kilometres off the coast of Buff Bay, Portland, at a depth of 10 kilometres. It happened at 2:53 a.m.

Graham’s dwelling is home to nine persons, with the youngest being six years old.

“This house is all I have, and with nowhere else to go, this is like a disaster waiting to happen. The bottom is giving way,” she said.

The sexagenarian, who appeared inconsolable, said that she is scared at the sight of several lengths of steel dangling from under the concrete structure. Graham is now hanging on to the hope that the State or a non-governmental organisation could intervene to determine whether the building can be saved.

“While I am glad that I have a roof over my head, I need help to get the building strengthened that I can sleep comfortably at nights,”Graham said.