SEAFORTH, St Thomas — Residents of Babylon Lane district here in Seaforth, St Thomas, were on Thursday frantically trying to repair damage left in Hurricane Beryl’s wake, hoping it would be enough so they could sleep in their houses that night.

Some lost their roofs, other houses fell victim to trees felled by the hurricane’s unrelenting winds that lashed them a day earlier.

Romario Williams’ house was among the most severely affected. The 26-year-old said he slept on cold concrete at the Seaforth High School shelter Wednesday night.

“I was in my house, just as I was about to sleep about 6:00 pm, I heard a loud tumbling and then I heard ‘buff’. When I got up and went outside I saw that a tree fell on the house. I then ran inside to gather my important documents,” Williams told the Jamaica Observer Thursday morning.

“Most of the items in my house are damaged and wet at this time, including my TV and my bed,” he added.

His neighbour Shanique Gordon described the moment she realised something was wrong.

“Yesterday evening, I heard something fall down. When I came outside I saw that my neighbour’s house had been damaged by a tree,” she said.

Another Babylon Lane resident, Okello Borrows, was seen trying to dislodge an ackee tree from his roof. He said he didn’t think Beryl would bring it down on his dwelling.

“Mi never did look fi it drop though, but it just fell on the zinc top,” he said.

He considered himself lucky there was no damage done inside and all he needs to do is remove the tree and repair his roof.

Caswell Hamilton wasn’t as lucky. Hurricane Beryl ripped away sections of his roof and forced him to seek shelter with a Good Samaritan.

“Mi bathroom blow down flat and couple zinc fly off my house, so me a try fix it up back so me can sleep in there tonight, because a somebody place me sleep in last night,” he said, echoing the sentiments of many neighbours.

They are determined to be back in Babylon Lane as soon as possible.