ST JAMES, Jamaica — A family is in danger of losing a house after a section of the foundation was washed away in the John’s Hall community of St James.

Water associated with Hurricane Melissa removed a section of the foundation leading to challenges with the stability of the house.

The house belongs to Lincoln James, former principal of the Howard Cooke Primary School.

“I would like to see it remain intact but we’re not going back in there because it is greatly compromised,” James told the Jamaica Observer..

“When you go inside there, it’s like you are going downhill,” he added.

The former educator explained that the family has since moved into another house on the property and will be limiting visits to the compromised dwelling,

He said the family’s belongings, including furniture, remain in the house except for a few important things that they managed to take out.

His car is also perched precariously against the side of the house. That, too, he said he will not be touching and will instead go to the insurance company to see about it.

He suggested that a change in the channel of the running water caused the issue.

“We did know that the water had changed its course and had taken the back of the house,” he said.

“There was a big mango tree on the hill there and blocked the path of the water coming down the roadway,” he added.

He said that in addition to that, there was a landslide that exacerbated the issue.

“Therefore the water had no other channel but to burst the embarkment and go down,” he said.

“The soil is mainly dumped earth, top soil all the way down so it just eroded everything,” he continued.

He said the family was in the house during the incident, but didn’t realise what had happened until his son recognised the issue.

“We hastily emerged from the back of the house to this one and we have been here since,” he said.