KINGSTON, Jamaica – Residents in New Haven are anticipating a spillover of smelly backwater into their homes and potential crocodile sightings if rains caused by Hurricane Melissa are as intense as promised.

“We have crocs in there, and we have children that live in the community, and when this gully fills, it comes right over. We just want it to be cleaned so the water can just flow through properly,” said residents.

The residents spoke to Observer Online on Monday hours before the major hurricane was due to make landfall on the island as a powerful category four storm.

A backup of trash in the community, including a mass of plastic bottles, has brought flow in the gully to almost a standstill, but residents say that’s not the only bottleneck, citing other areas further up the gully where blockages contribute to the backflow of water afflicting them.

“We just want it to be cleaned so the water can just flow through properly…we can try take time and manage it… and clean it wi self,” said a resident identified as Junior.

Another resident pointed to the trees hanging over the gully as an impediment to cleaning.

“There are trees that hang over the gully with a lot of wisps that hold back the debris and stop the flow of the water,”said the resident.

In direct reference Hurricane Melissa, which is predicted to make landfall in Jamaica Monday night or early Tuesday, bringing between 15 to 30 inches of rainfall, Junior said:

“It’s gonna be very serious, it’s not a joke thing…the heavier the water, the more it comes over, and that’s where the crocs live and we have lots of yards with children around here… we just want the help to clean it out and we as the community will take care of it.”

Young men who spoke to the Observer said they would be willing to evacuate but feared the shelters would already be full.

“Where would we evacuate to? I hear a lot of people complain about the comfort,” said one young man, adding that most of the shelters had been taken up by residents who have already left the community.