Hill Run flooded as heavy rains persist
Published:Tuesday | July 9, 2024 | 12:11 AMRuddy Mathison/Gleaner Writer
The St Catherine community of Hill Run, with just under 2,000 residents, narrowly escaped the ferocious winds of Hurricane Beryl but was not spared its aftermath. Heavy rains from Saturday into Sunday morning severely disrupted their lives.
Although only one house lost its roof during Beryl’s passage, the entire community was left marooned them inside their homes at the weekend.
On Sunday, all streets leading into the community were flooded, with floodwaters as high as four feet on the main streets, Mahoe and Cherry.
“Every year this happens, but this is the worst we’ve seen it. The place flooded out because the main drain is not clean,” said Clive Rhooms, a longtime resident, as he waded through waist-high floodwaters.
“Right now, the entire community is surrounded by water, and we’re in the middle. It usually takes about three days to run off when it’s not this bad,” he told The Gleaner. “No one from the community could go to work or do any other business because of this situation.”
Annette Foster echoed the sentiment.
“I am unable to come out of my house without stepping in deep water. This is the worst I have seen in my 25 years living in the community. Right now, if somebody gets sick, it will be hell to reach them and get them to the doctor,” she asserted.
Taxi operator Robert Baker was the only one to sustain damage during the storm, losing the roof of his one-bedroom house.
“I was not home. After hearing the news that it would be a powerful storm, I went to a shelter in Portmore,” he told The Gleaner. “After I reached home Thursday, I saw the entire roof in the woods.”
He said that without some form of assistance, he will not be able to replace the roof.
President of the Hill Run Citizens Association, Shantana Fagan Murray, noted, “During the hurricane, we had to make sure the elderly were protected, so we ensured that they had their medication because we knew what the aftermath would be like in this community.”
There are calls from the National Works Agency (NWA) to clear the main drain that leads from Spanish Town through the community, potentially alleviating some of the residents’ plight.
NWA Corporate Communications Manager Stephen Shaw told The Gleaner that he would have to check if Hill Run is part of the NWA network. Up to press time, no response was forthcoming.