KINGSTON, Jamaica— As Jamaicans made last minute preparations on Tuesday for the passing of the potentially catastrophic Hurricane Beryl, Robert was seen doing his small part in attempting to clean the Sandy Gully in St Andrew, his actions of removing wood and other debris seemingly in vain when compared to the vast amount of garbage piled in the channel.

A resident of Drewsland, Robert is among many Jamaicans living close to gully banks or in flood-prone areas who could be in danger during the storm, which is forecasted to make landfall before daybreak Wednesday morning.

But on the eve of the hurricane, Robert is less worried about potential flooding in the Drewsland area as he is about the possibility of it occurring in nearby Seaview Gardens, which is located towards the end of Sandy Gully where the garbage often washes and causes blockages.

“Me a try help with the cleaning too because me know this is a problem, the blockage. Them things yah a go into the sea and a go to the bottom there so go block up,” the 60-year-old man explained.

In addition to strong winds, Beryl is expected to bring heavy showers to Jamaica, with rainfall from the outer bands of the storm projected to start affecting the island very early on Wednesday, beginning with sections of eastern and north-central parishes.

Against that background, Seaview residents are bracing for the worst given the build-up of garbage in the Sandy Gully at this time.

“Everytime it rain down here it flood out, even if a regular rain we get flood same way. [With the hurricane] people can expect the water at them door step,” Jabir, who resides in Seaview Gardens Phase 2, told Observer Online.

The 29-year-old suggested that with a strategically-installed catchment and regular cleaning of Sandy Gully, the flooding issue would be diminished.

“The gully nah clean as often, and where the water should exit, it block up. Other gullies from other communities that lead to Seaview cause it too. But if them could put a mesh to stop the rubbish, and have the people who collect the garbage to clean it things would be better,” he said.

A female resident who identified herself only as Sharon said the issue is coming from all the communities that are served by the major canal.

“You see like when the rain a fall, all the bottles coming from way up, like from Constant Spring side— because this is the main gully enuh— so everything from Constant Spring, Drewsland everything come down so you see every type of bottles, old fridge, garbage, dead dog everything come down inna the gully,” Sharon explained, pointing to piles of garbage lodged to the banks of the gully.

She added that while the area of Seaview Gardens where she lives is not usually plagued by flooding, she could not be sure they will be spared with the passage of Hurricane Beryl as the gully needs to be cleaned.

“Ivan come and me never see it flow over and them say Gilbert come and it never flow over. I don’t know [if it will flow over this time], me just have to trust God because this gully really want clean,” Sharon said.

In the meantime, the National Works Agency (NWA) continued clean-up activities in the Sandy Gully on Tuesday. Communications Manager at the NWA, Stephen Shaw said the clean-up process began on Sunday, and the agency is trying to at least create a channel so water from Hurricane Beryl can flow.

“We are going through and at least creating some sort of channel to facilitate storm water flows. We will work up until we are unable so to do and in the process we hope that with what we’ve done they’ll be safe,” Shaw said.