WESTERN BUREAU – A freak storm on Monday swept across Anchovy and Roehampton in St James, leaving thousands of dollars worth of damage.

Residents said the storm tore off roofs, uprooted trees and flattened acres of crops, including bananas.

Egbert Kerr, an 83 year-old farmer of Bueno Vista in Roehampton, told the Observer that his crop of 150 banana plants, most of which were due for harvesting in weeks, were wiped out by the wind. He said he lost more than $50,000 in crop damage.

Vaughn Birch, 25, of Spring Bottom, also in Roehampton, said a tree fell on his house and that a section of the roof was torn off by the wind. He also lost his Digital Satellite System (DSS) dish.

“I was at work when the storm past through, and when I got home I saw the tree on top of my house. A whole lot of things inside the house were damaged,” Birch said.

Birch said he was yet to find out if all the electrical appliances in his house were working, as the wind caused trees to fall on power lines which left the more than 80 residents in the communities without electricity.

Ireta Robinson, 55, said a one-room house which she had just completed a few days ago was blown from its spot. A huge ackee tree in Robinson’s yard was also uprooted by the strong wind. She said no one was in the house at the time of the incident.

Beres Housen, a farmer and father of six, said he was at Granville, about eight miles away, when he received a phone call that his house at Anchovy was affected by the freak storm. According to Housen, when he reached home, he saw sections of his roof blown off and his family apparently in a state of shock.

“When mi run come, mi TV, video and mi mattrass (mattress) wet up because the zinc dem lick off. Mi have fi pack up stone on di zinc and try to get some sleep last night,” Housen said yesterday.

Housen said he had lost approximately 1 1/2 acres of bananas to the sudden gush of wind.

The affected residents were busy most of yesterday repairing their homes and drying furniture and appliances.