WHITE RIVER, Portland — Despite escaping the full wrath of Hurricane Melissa, which slammed into the south-western section of the island just over one week ago, this parish recorded at least one death, with three emergency shelters still open, and residents living close to Buff Bay River in fear, particularly as more rain is forecast for the island this week.

Official sources have identified Melissa’s victim in Portland as 76-year-old William Richards of a Mahoe District address.

According to the reports Richards was at home when a tree fell on his house, leaving him injured.

Residents ran to his rescue and took him out, but were unable to get him to medical care as the road was blocked. He later succumbed to his injuries. He is one of 32 deaths so far linked to Melissa across Jamaica.

In the meantime, three of the 60 shelters which were opened in the parish as Melissa approached the island — Manchioneal Primary and Reich Primary in the east, and Woodstock Housing in the west — were still housing residents up to Tuesday.

But most worrying for Portlanders is the erosion of the banks of the Buff Bay River which has left many properties in the White River area now at risk.

One resident, Kenneth Barclay, told the Jamaica Observer that this is a problem they have faced since 1988 when Hurricane Gilbert slammed into the island.

“The Buff Bay River burst its bank and came in the community, almost everybody in the community was flooded out. My house was the first house to get flooded with water, the river came right in,” said Barclay.

“We have made so many petitions to people, bigger heads, that they should take this thing seriously, and we write letters, send them in, and nobody comes to do anything about it. That night [Tuesday, October 28, 2025] was a night that it could be the same thing, but thanks be to God, it did not really come over. It tear down this bank here and it take around 20 feet of the land around here,” added Barclay as he pointed to spots where the river eroded its banks during Melissa.

According to Barclay, the community could have been in mourning the morning after Melissa, “But we still give thanks to God that we are here and alive. So we would really like something to be done now. We’re crying, we can’t take it anymore… our lives are in jeopardy right here.”

According to Barclay, the residents have spoken to the National Works Agency, different members of parliament, and councillors who have promised to have the matter addressed, but nothing has been done.

“Only in Gilbert it overflow its bank. It did not overflow this time. It just tore the bank down, but if it was further up the top, then it would come in the community and flood it again,” added Barclay.

His wife Novelette was quick to support his position as she recounted the ordeal when the river overflowed its banks during the 1988 hurricane.

“In Gilbert I had two children and I had to tie them in a sheet and jump the fence to come out of the house to secure the children’s and our lives,” said Novelette as she charged that she has spoken to representatives of the two major political parties and nothing has been done.

“Not too long ago, like about two weeks ago or even less, I went there and I did a video and I sent it off to the councillor [Rohan Vassell]. I said, ‘Look, this needs to be dealt with like right now because this is what is happening. The land is going away, and if we have a disaster, it’s going to be worse around here’. He said he was going to send it off to somebody at ODPEM [Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management], and they were going to get to us.

“I know nothing could be done in such a short span of time, but look, we are talking about lives. We’re talking about property. We have our children here. We have elderly people here. And what is happening here it’s just not good,” added Novelette.

She said during the passage of Hurricane Melissa she was in her house when her daughter indicated that she heard a sound as if a truck was passing.

“When I pulled the door and I looked out, I said, ‘No, it is not a truck, that is the river’. I called to them and I said ‘River’! All we had to do was run out of the house with the pots, with our food in it. In a day like this, it’s not right. Look at what is happening out there,” Novelette said.

She pointed to areas where she said a gazebo and 20 feet of the land had been taken by the roaring river water.

“It is time for somebody to step in and help us. We need help like right now as we speak,” said Novelette.

Meanwhile, Garfield Giscombe, who lost a section of his property to the Buff Bay River that runs behind his house, said he has been trying to protect his property over the years.

“I ended up making a mini basket [gabion basket] around here. I spend a lot of money just to make the basket, to prevent my side from washing away. Tuesday [October 28] about six o’clock the heavy wind started to blow, right through the night, right through the night. About 1:30 Wednesday morning just one rush and everything gone. I had a gazebo, a wash room and a step here — all gone. I have spent a lot of time and money investing in this property and it is a big loss. I really need somebody to come and even help me to get this river trained.

“The training needs to start further up, about a thousand foot up by that corner, for when it reaches there, that’s when the river picks up the speed. It comes on the corner, that’s why it comes so wide and starts eating away the bank. So we really need some drastic measure to be done about it. I’ve spent all my life building this property, and in just a quick minute, it goes down, just go, just go so,” said Giscombe.

In the meantime, Michael Garrick said his farm was devastated by the river water.

“We had plantains, bananas, and pumpkin on this side of the farm here. We had pineapple, different little things, a coconut tree, all of those things there, sweet potato. There are some plants that the debris cover as the water came through and destroyed them,” said Garrick.

“We are looking here at the river, that tree there, it is a teak tree, an expensive lumber tree, and the mountain sap. We had a whole heap of big stones that were behind that are gone… and numerous plantains also, it’s unbelievable, and some plantains that were bearing fruit. Pumpkins were just ready and starting to bear,” Garrick lamented.

The Buff Bay River flowing behind Garfield Giscombe’s house, where he had a gazebo, a wash room, and a step that were washed away during the passage of Hurricane Melissa on October 28, 2025. (Photo: Everard Owen)

Garfield Giscombe is among residents who lost a section of their property to the overflowing Buff Bay River during Hurricane Melissa.

White River, Portland resident Kenneth Barclay appealing for help to address the threat caused by the Buff Bay River.

Fallen plantain trees on Michael Garrick’s farm in White River, Portland, following the October 28 passage of Hurricane Melissa. (Photo: Everard Owen)