MONTHS after Hurricane Melissa triggered a devastating mudslide that ripped through a wall in Yvonne Yates’s Content Gap, East Rural St Andrew home, she remains displaced and is still searching for support to rebuild.

“So far I haven’t gotten any help from anybody at all but family and friends. Maybe it’s because I’m not in Black River, [St Elizabeth], and Westmoreland, or those places [hardest hit] — but it’s like I don’t count,” she said.

In November, mere weeks after the Category 5 storm struck the island on October 28, 2025, Yates shared her story with the  Jamaica Observer, recalling how she narrowly escaped from her home — which she thought would cave in — alongside her granddaughter Shianna Mason.

A mango tree that stood behind her house was downed by the fierce winds of the hurricane, which knocked over her water tank that then barrelled into a wall of her house — ripping it open and bringing with it flood water and mud.

Since then, Yates has been living with a friend on weekdays to facilitate her granddaughter attending school, and staying with her mother on weekends.

As she spoke to the Sunday Observer last Friday, she acknowledged that those living arrangements are not a permanent solution, and as such, Yates has been trying to get back on her feet.

She said she liaised with a resident who owns a backhoe tractor, which they used to clear away the land slippage and the water tank that forced their way into her house.

“I got a small backhoe tractor that could go in my yard; he went in and cleared the dirt behind the house as much as he could, but a lot more work needs to be done, and that was done by me out of my pocket. I’m also planning a workday this weekend [January 24-25] to do the foundation of the wall to try and bring it up from ground level just to prevent, if rain falls, all the mud from coming back down,” she said.

However, she expressed that the journey has not been easy, noting that the only aid she’s received was from family and friends.

“The only help I’ve gotten was from my children and my niece. There was also a friend of mine that lives in the United States that sent some money, and that’s what I used to pay the tractor man, and whatever is left I’m going to use to start to pay for a small truck.

“But I still cannot understand how something like this has happened and nobody don’t even look. I spoke to my MP [Member of Parliament Juliet Holness] and she sent someone from the SDC [Social Development Commission] and they came and took pictures of all the damage, but so far I haven’t gotten any help,” said Yates.

She explained that she intends to start rebuilding and requires additional help to source building material.

“So right now I need about 17 lengths of aluminum rod and I need at least 50 bags of cement. I also need three to four sheets of ply-board. I already paid for a small truckload of sand and stone, and we already dig the foundation to start the wall, but the price that I was told is about $800,000, and that is just for the labourer,” said Yates.

“I got a small truck, but you know it’s going to require more than one load of sand. I’m using river sand and stone for now to deal with the foundation, but after that the bigger truck that I’m going to use is almost $200,000 for a load of sand,” she said.

Appealing once again to local government representatives and anyone willing to lend a helping hand, Yates said she hopes her situation won’t be overlooked, pointing out that while Hurricane Melissa impacted southern and western Jamaica, its destructive reach was also felt in the east, tearing through the back wall of her house in the hills of rural St Andrew.

Those willing to help may contact Yates at (876) 803-6500.