Alligator Pond’s battle against Hurricane Beryl

Nicolette Dinham’s entire house in Compound, Alligator Pond, was blown away when Hurricane Beryl struck last Wednesday, causing widespread damage to homes and businesses in this southern Manchester fishing community.

“A movie alone mi see dis inna. A nuh nothing normal,” an admittedly still-shaken Dinham told The Gleaner last Friday as she examined the pieces of furniture and appliances that still stood on the concrete foundation of her home.

Dinham said she and her partner had strapped down the zinc roof of the two-bedroom board house in anticipation of the storm and stocked up on non-perishable food items. But the sheets of zinc were scattered all over her yard, and the food items lay wasted under a tarpaulin on the foundation of her house.

The 27-year-old recalled the terrifying experience of being inside as she watched her roof fly away in the wind.

“Wi keep on a look pon di roof, and di roof just a vibrate. Every second or suh it just vibrate. So at the time, wi a seh, ‘Wah di best option? Weh wi a go do now?’ Mi cya go next door because di gate lock, so mi a seh if the roof come up, mi can run go inna di likkle bathroom part there,” she said.

But the bathroom was no match for the incessant assault, and soon, the boisterous winds sent those sheets of zinc flying, too, leaving Dinham, her three-year-old son, and her partner rushing to seek shelter at a neighbour’s house.

“Mi haffi a seh, God carry wi through. That’s all inna mi mind, God carry mi through. Mi nuh sleep; mi still a shake. A nuh nothing normal, but mi still have to have the strength fi di baby fi recuperate,” she said.

Now, she is focused on rebuilding but acknowledged that it will be difficult, especially since her place of employment – the nearby Little Ochie Seafood Restaurant and Bar – was also extensively damaged during the hurricane.

Dinham said that she was in the process of building a concrete house, and she is now seeking assistance to complete it.

“If I could get the help from anyone out there to either deck off or roof it because that’s the level it is now,” she said.

Marlon Hibbert is also relying on the kindness of strangers to help him rebuild his one-bedroom structure that became roofless during the hurricane. On Friday morning, he was still trying to find the missing pieces of zinc that blew off from his house.

“Mi nuh have the money fi buy the zinc dem now, and di whole a mi zinc dem gone,” he said.

Despite the urging of authorities, including councillor for the Alligator Pond Division Omar Robinson, for residents to leave the community and go to the nearest shelter ahead of the hurricane, many stayed home, including 53-year-old resident Pamela Banton.

“Sometimes mi just feel more comfortable by myself ‘cause things weh yuh can do in a yuh home, you cannot do it elsewhere,” she said in explaining her decision to stay.

But as Hurricane Beryl battered the community, lifting her roof and dislodging board walls, she found herself having to rush out in the dangerous storm to seek shelter.

“Di rain and di breeze just mek it (roof) cap right over, and den now, di front window crack up, and ... mi and mi daughter affi just mek haste and open di door and run go ova mi next daughter,” she said.

She said the one-bedroom dwelling has been her home for more than 20 years, and she had a similar experience during Hurricane Ivan two decades ago.

Staring at her three-bedroom family house, which was now in ruins, Joan Johnson conceded that this hurricane, which destroyed her home of more than 43 years, was the worst one she had experienced.

She did not expect it to cause as much damage as it did.

“When dem seh storm a come, mi seh, ‘No, sah. No storm nah come inna day. A mostly night storm come.’ But it (roof) a go from inna di evening – dangerous, dangerous, man. Mi pray to the Lord and beg the Lord just fi keep wi on,” she said.

Robinson, who was in the community collecting data to organise assistance to residents, lamenting the destruction caused by the hurricane, told The Gleaner that it will require a collaborative approach to ensure that the community recovers.

“The [damage] on the ground is a lot. We can’t put a figure to it as yet,” the councillor said.

Pointing to the $5 million allotted to members of parliament for emergency hurricane preparations and response, Robinson contends that special funding should also be given to councillors as they are often the first point of contact.

“We haven’t heard anything for the councillors. ... We are the ones that are on the ground that the people can see and touch base with. There hasn’t been any announcements up to this point as to what we can do in terms of monetary [assistance] for the people,” he said.

sashana.small@gleanerjm.com