CARIBBEAN Terrace in Kingston was a picture of devastation on Monday after huge storm surges caused by Hurricane Dean demolished homes, cars and even the hopes of some residents who vowed they’ll never return to the seaside community.

Three years after Hurricane Ivan ripped through the area, swallowing houses and other personal belongings, residents are once again faced with distress.

“I am going to just abandon this place and forget about it,” said a dejected Jennifer Richards as she sat hopelessly on a concrete column which was once part of her house – an exquisite glass design.

Richards said she has been through major hurricanes like Gilbert and Ivan over the 33 years she has lived in the community, but none could be compared to Hurricane Dean.

“My 41 years of marriage memories are gone… all my wedding gifts and photos of my children and grandchildren,” she said as she gazed at the remains of her house which was saturated with sand, mud and other debris from the ocean.

What was ironic, though, was that it was the first time she had ever battened up for a storm.

“For the other storms we would leave and when we come back we just have to wash out the house and we would be able to move back in after a few days,” she said.

Her housekeeper, Monica Wright, was just as despondent. She said everything in the house was gone. She said it was the first time that the water had affected houses that were closer to the main road.

“One couple was in a house way up the road and when the water came up on them they had to escape from the back section and some police were passing and rescued them,” she said.

And even as many were left in despair over their lost possessions, four young men – despite losing all their belongings – were very grateful that their lives were spared.

“When I see my life flash before my eyes and know that I am still here today I just have to give God thanks,” said 18-year-old Joel Gordon who rode out the storm at home.

Gordon, his uncle Omar and two friends said they were inside the house when, without warning, one huge wave came crashing ashore and covered the houses in its path.

“All the doors start to break at once and immediately the water formed a whirlpool inside and [began] sucking us down towards the sea,” he recalled.

Unable to swim, he said his uncle hung onto him while maintaining a firm grip on the structure of the house.

He said when they ran to the top of the road the experience was frightening as they saw babies crying and adults screaming as they tried to escape the angry waters.

What transpired could be easily visualised as cars were seen washed up alongside houses. In fact, one red car was spotted resting precariously on a fence where the water had parked it.

Nearby, along the Palisadoes strip, it was hard to tell the difference between the roadway and the seashore after storm surges heaped mounds of sand along the road. There were downed lightposts everywhere. A huge crowd descended on the area to get a closer look at the devastation.

In Bull Bay, Norman ‘Foodie’ Grant was counting his losses after his garage was totally destroyed.

“Everything gone into the ocean floor,” he said in dismay, looking despondently at the rubble which was once his business place. “I don’t know where to start back now.”

Meanwhile, sections of Bull Bay resembled a river bed as huge boulders posed a challenge even for the most skilful motorists.

Further into St Thomas, the destruction was obvious with the number of felled trees, broken roads and missing roofs.

Jamaica Labour Party candidate James Robertson, who was touring his constituency to get a first-hand view of the damage, said while property was destroyed it could have been worse.

“Thank God the hurricane changed course because if that had not happened we would have been devastated,” he said.