STRATEGIC SHIFT REQUIRED

WESTERN BUREAU:

As three rivers and storm surge buried Catherine Hall and Westgreen under mud and debris, tempers flared this week as residents demanded urgent national intervention, saying repeated flooding has left them traumatised and fearing the Barnett River’s growing threat.

Residents described how the Pye River, Barnett River, Montego River, and the sea all converged during Hurricane Melissa, dumping tons of mud, silt and debris into their communities. Many said the cleanup has been far too slow, leaving them living in difficult and unsanitary conditions for more than a week.

Homes remain caked in mud, appliances are ruined, vehicles damaged, and thick silt still coats roadways and drains. Some residents said they cannot properly sleep or eat because everything around them still looks like a disaster zone.

The anxiety returned on Tuesday night when heavy rain brought fresh flooding.

“When the rain came, people started crying,” one resident said. “We thought the river was coming again. We can’t live like this.”

Many argued that the situation warrants disaster-area designation, which would trigger additional resources, including sustained assistance from the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF).

However, Deputy Prime Minister Dr Horace Chang explained that the army is already stretched across multiple parishes dealing with post-hurricane emergencies.

Montego Bay Mayor Richard Vernon acknowledged the residents’ concerns and said the current problems cannot be solved at the parish level.

He insisted that the matter must be investigated by the Government, supported by hydrologists, engineers and technical experts.

“This is not something the municipal corporation alone can solve,” Vernon said. “The investigation has to be done by the national government. Experts need to assess the Pye River, the Barnett River, the Montego River, and how the storm surge interacted with all three.”

NOT DESIGNED FOR MELISSA’S FORCE

He said the drainage system was never designed for the overwhelming force produced by Hurricane Melissa.

“What you experienced here is nothing you have ever seen before,” he said. “This place was designed to handle the usual, but what we got was on another level.”

Vernon explained that the rivers carried down massive volumes of debris – trees, garbage, construction materials – that continue to shift every time it rains, making it exceedingly difficult to keep drains clear.

“We are moving debris from point A to point B every hour,” he said. “Some fall off the trucks, some wash back into the drains and block them again.”

The immediate priority, he said, is clearing bulky waste, silt and garbage to restore water flow.

While grateful for the ongoing cleanup, residents insisted the pace must increase.

“We need help faster,” one man said. “More hands, more equipment, whatever it takes.”

Vernon said Montego Bay must now adopt new engineering safeguards, including major river-training works, as climate change continues to produce more intense and unpredictable storms.

“We must put in the necessary safeguards to prevent this happening again,” he said. “Given the level of destruction, we need technical intervention. The national government must lead the investigation.”

janet.silvera@gleanerjm.com