A workman cranks a jack under a huge boulder on the Mount Charles road, in St. Thomas, last Thursday. - Photo by Paul Williams

THE SUNDAY Gleaner news team almost never arrived at Hagley Gap, a rustic community cuddled in the Blue Mountains.

Somewhere along the road leading to Mount Charles - a shoddy dirt trail with glimpses of asphalt - a huge boulder had been dislodged from the hillside on to the middle of the roadway, obstructing vehicular traffic. One local farmer led a group of men in a daunting road-clearing task.

It was Thursday afternoon, last week, and the men said they had been trying to remove the rock since last Monday. A motor vehicle jack, an iron digger, a farm tractor and a hammer, used in an attempt to disintegrate the massive rock, all failed.

Access to the St. Thomas side of the Blue Mountains via this route was possible because the tractor had created some space around the rock so that vehicles that traverse these forgotten lands could get by. By late evening, the workmen were only successful in pushing the rock near the edge of a precipice.

Agony of life

Welcome to a glimpse of the agony of life in these hills, which is in stark contrast to nature's beautiful backdrop. The people who live in the area said the conditions on Thursday were nowhere near those which exist whenever it rains heavily, and are hoping that the predictions of an active hurricane season this year do not materialise.

Experts have suggested that this watershed region, the Blue Mountains, may contain the answer as to why hurricanes heading for Jamaica divert from their path at the last minute. They say it acts as a backboard, which causes troughs to rebound to the sea, hence minimising the possibility of a direct hit.

Many persons in the community still remember the disaster of Hurricane Gilbert in 1988, the 2004/2005 visits of 'Ivan', 'Dennis', 'Emily', and other unnamed tropical storm systems, which dumped rains on to their land, and caused marooning landslides in the St. Thomas hills. Ironically, there is little access to drinking water in these hilly communities.

None of the residents wants toexperience a hurricane again. Also, despite being farmers, none of them is embracing heavy showers, not when there is very little indication as to how they get out of the woods in case of emergency.

Asked how they manage during inclement weather, the answer is the same: "We don't manage at all. When rain fall, a just the mercy of God save wi," one man says. And should you refuse to accept his story, ask Albert who has had first-hand experience of what life can be like when it rains.

Albert's mother-in-law died during the 2004 Hurricane Ivan rains. The family needed to get her body to the morgue, but with a river on both sides of the community and no bridge to drive across, Albert and other community members had to devise a method to get her out.

Numerous landslides

It was almost impossible to get to Morant Bay via Newcastle and Cedar Valley because of the condition of the roads and numerous landslides in the parish. Kingston was the closest option.

But the ancient footbridge over the Yallahs River had finally collapsed during the storm and the ford below was inundated. "Wi affi put di dead inna bag and push har up inna di air and den swing it cross di river," Albert says.

That was three years ago and conditions have not improved since. The best piece of road in the community is a one-mile stretch from Hagley Gap to Minto, near to Epping Farm.

That road, completed four months ago, is a gift from the Jamaica Social Investment Fund. Beyond this point, the road is a rutty and rocky dirt trail, which leads to Penlyne Castle and farther to the Blue Mountain peak.

The residents treasure that piece of good road, but hope they are able to see more of this around them. But with the hurricane season having commenced two days ago, some residents, while hoping for better, are not willing to take any chance by staying in the community should conditions become bleaker.

One expectant mother says she will not allow the rains to catch her in the community as she approaches her due date. "It is not safe to stay here. You are boxed in, river on both sides and nothing here ... Only a helicopter could get you out, if it rains," she says.

For others, powerless is the best way to describe this community's ability to cope with a hurricane. While the reality exists that only God's mercy will keep that community in the case of any major disaster, a few young boys in the broken hills are looking at it in a different way. One of them says if a hurricane should come, he hopes that he is in good health, and in one of the grocery shops.

daraine.luton@gleanerjm.com