Spring Village resident haunted by memories of flooding
Published:Thursday | September 2, 2021 | 12:10 AMRasbert Turner/Gleaner Writer
Spring Village, St Catherine, resident, Audrey Richards Malcolm, continues to be haunted by memories of flooding.
“It’s constant flooding fi wi,” Malcolm said. “From the road fixed, we have been getting flood out, as the surface gets higher than the yard. It really sad, as mi haffi lock mi shop each time it rains,” she told The Gleaner.
Malcolm, 54, was born and raised in Rockstone, Spring Village, and has operated a grocery shop for 25 years. The last five years have been the most challenging.
In June, Tropical Storm Elsa flooded the shop, costing her thousands of dollars. Elsa was followed by Grace in August, with both storms inflicting almost $1 billion in damage and destruction.
“I couldn’t even go inside my house. Everything for me and the four children get wet,” Malcolm said.
Ida’s two-day assault swamped roads in Spring Village, forcing persons to seek higher ground last Friday as floodwaters receded.
The situation has caused untold woes for residents like Marlene Malcolm.
She is advocating for new trenches to be dug to facilitate the water run-off. Residents have been cutting their own, she said.
A number of business operators echoed the sentiments of the residents.
“I have received so much hits from water, mi tink mi waterproof,” said Mildred Binns, a farmer, adding that the flurry of weather systems have destroyed callaloo, pumpkins, and corn.
Chairman of the St Catherine disaster committee, Rogae Kirlew, said that damage assessment was still under way.