RESIDENTS of Bull Bay in St Andrew are worried that Hurricane Beryl could have a devastating impact on the community.

While some residents chose not to be optimistic about the impending danger, others said they felt they could be staring at death. Despite this, not all were prepared to flee their homes and run to shelters.

According to one male resident of Beach Road, a highway project caused the Bull Bay main road to be raised higher than the houses in the community, and he believes people will die if they don’t run to safety before Beryl starts to affect Jamaica.

Bull Bay is located in the south-east end on the island.

“I live on Beach Road weh dem a plan fi put this big Bob Marley hotel. This semi-highway is nonsense. A pure dead people a guh deh over yah suh, enuh. When da gully buss beside Weise Road during normal rain, my brethren daughter nearly get wash weh and is a man see her a pass and grab her. Imagine we weh live over pon Beach Road. I am looking at pure dead people over Beach Road if the people don’t leave, but many have nowhere to go.

“A St Thomas di whole a di water a come from, enuh. When the whole a di force bundle up it will be [trouble] on Beach Road,” the male resident told the
Jamaica Observer on Tuesday.

Another Beach Road resident who identified herself as Miss Burgess, who was seen preparing to cook a meal of ackee and saltfish for herself and her children, said she won’t be quick to evacuate her home, despite being aware of the dangers.

She explained that she is more worried about securing her furniture, and her home in its entirety. What she sees as important, though, is that her children and her elderly mother will have to be sent elsewhere to ride out the massive storm.

“Mi a guh mek di pickney dem and mi mother go up a mi bredda. Our things might wash weh, suh we have to look, listen and run. Round here suh the weather will come and move you or gunshot will move you, so we just have to look, listen and run,” she said.

Just across from Beach Road is Weise Road where 80-year-old Patricia Phillips explained that she ordered her grandson and others to hit out a section of a retaining wall at her house to prevent water from settling in her yard and entering her house, as furniture and other items would be damaged. According to Burgess, there is only so much they can do and no more where preparation is concerned.

“I know about the storm so mi get dem fi lick out the wall already. We a prepare fi it because when rain come, it flood out the yard. Mi a try get dem boy deh fi drop down the awnings so they don’t blow away. From mi go through Hurricane Gilbert mi will go through anything else. When Gilbert come, mi roof gone; mi a cook and everything come down. Mi nah mek nothing bother mi because mi too old now.

“During Gilbert mi did affi go down a di church go stay because we never have no house top. Mi not even know if the roof firm for this one; we couldn’t firm enough for Gilbert. Gilbert did bad [in September 1988], but this one looks like it will be badder than Gilbert.

“Mi just want some food fi eat through the storm. Throughout the storm mi can mumble mi old gum and drink a little drinks and say, ‘Thank you Jesus.’ When it pass mi can seh, ‘Thank you Lord.’ “

Shortly after the interview ended with the elderly resident the
Observer spotted a Rastafarian man with brooms slung over his shoulders. When asked where he was headed he said he was going to secure sales before Beryl struck.

Natalie, who is another Weise Road resident, told the
Observer that she had started the process of battening down the roof on her house. She said she was heading to downtown Kingston to purchase cigarettes to sell during the hurricane.

“I know it is coming; I see it and mi a listen the news. From they move the police station I don’t know anywhere else around here we can stay as shelter. If the mango tree ever drop pon my house, Lord have mercy. Mi pack up some of my clothes, and secure mi age paper and TRN and dem something deh. We affi try tie up some a di zinc dem pon my house top because some a dem nuh nail up. We cyah do nothing more. We a stress out we self but we can’t do dem something deh! Mi a run go a town now because di people dem smoke hard. Through di flood a come dem just a buy di cigarette, suh mi affi get as much,” Natalie said.

At Caribbean Terrace near Harbour View, Susan Poveda said she has nowhere to go with her children. She accepted that her dilapidated house, which sits by the sea, would be hazardous to her family if she remains there during the hurricane.

“Ceiling drop down nearly kill mi baby the other day. Mi don’t even know weh mi a guh go when the storm come. When rain fall, in here leak like wah — all the verandah soon come down. Mi nuh have nowhere fi go. Anybody mi a stay wid, it nah go better. I swear mi nuh know wah mi a guh do. It nuh safe. Even when storm nah come and if the breeze blow hard, the sea come over.

“I don’t see Caribbean Terrace surviving this one, not to how mi see it a tear down the rest of countries. I check my phone regular and listen in. I watch the videos from other countries and things tear down bad,” she said.

Caribbean Terrace was devastated by Hurricane Ivan 20 years ago, forcing the owners to flee. The damaged houses were then taken over by informal settlers.