DESPITE being under the gun for most of last week, St Thomas emerged largely unscathed as Hurricane Melissa crashed into the south-western section of Jamaica on Tuesday.

But for people living near Plantain Garden River in Bath, St Thomas, Tuesday morning brought panic as landslides ripped through the riverbank, threatening to swallow their homes.

A video that surfaced on social media showed residents of the community evacuating their homes as sections of the riverbank collapsed. The footage also captured the moment a parked car was swept away by the landslide.

When the Jamaica Observer visited the area one resident voiced frustration as he argued that the issue had been brought to the attention of the authorities for more than 20 years without resolution.

“The people have been crying out for the resurrection of the groyne and nothing has been done and this is the state the community is in right now. If we have a continuation of this for the rest of the night it is going to be dangerous because you can see the compression and cracks on the soil and more of it is going to break away,” Bath resident Theodore Bailey told the Observer Tuesday afternoon.

He argued that the problem could be easily resolved and blamed negligence for putting residents’ lives at risk.

“We are constantly living in threat and fear whenever time it is raining or when we have a flooding,” said Bailey.

“Over the years they always have a groyne system that they make. So that is what keep on holding up this community over the years, so this part of it from bottom yard come straight up needed a groyne, and right now. Because there is no groyne the river merge over to this side and cause what you see happening now — the erosion and the landslide that is happening in the community right now,” Bailey added.

Pointing to cracks in the ground near the threatened homes he warned that even after Melissa, residents are not out of danger.

“You see because the soil so wet and you can see the cracks, this part of the land don’t need any more water to break away, it can happen at any time,” said Bailey.

In the meantime, a distressed resident who gave her name as Charlene — who lives in one of the endangered houses — voiced frustration that her repeated pleas for assistance have gone unanswered.

“A long time we a beg them fi drop some big stone like out a Yallahs and groyne the river, a long time we a beg them and nobody nah pay we no mind and now the whole a di land in front we wash weh, the car wash weh and everything gone,” Charlene told the Observer.

Echoing her frustration was Rayon Blake, a Canada-based resident who had returned to Jamaica to be with his family during Hurricane Melissa.

He said he was left heartbroken after his car was swept away in the landslide.

“This nuh feel good and right now mi devastated, mi supposed to leave here Saturday and honestly mi nuh sure now,” said Blake.

He noted that he had the car for eight years and used it to travel around whenever he comes to Jamaica.

According to Blake, even when he leaves Jamaica he is fearful for the safety of his family and other residents in the community.

“If you see it and you know now, you will realise that is not me alone it going impact because if the water can get in the house then the whole community is going to be affected by it because if it come there or it come over then everybody down that side — the school [Bath Primary and Infant] and those places — are going to be affected by it,” said Blake as he added that despite the loss of his car he was pleased that no one was injured during the landslide.

Blake also expressed gratitude to the residents who saw the danger and were quick to help neighbours evacuate.

Other residents living in homes alongside the river bank moved to a shelter at Bath Primary and Infant School for safety.

A resident of Bath, St Thomas, looks at a breakaway at the bank of the Plantain Gardens River on Tuesday morning.

Waves rising above the road in White Horses, St Thomas, during the passage of Melissa on Tuesday.

Rayon Blake giving thanks to resident who assisted his family to move out of house that was in danger after the Plantain Gardens River bank broke away in Bath, St Thomas.