Beverley Rhoden exits her home at Taylor Land in Bull Bay, St. Andrew. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer

Shelly-Ann Thompson, Staff Reporter

It happens every year. Tonnes of dirt and rocks flow into homes occupied by residents of Taylor Land in Bull Bay, St. Andrew, each time it rains heavily, leaving them, they say, relying only on the mercy of God to save their houses from complete destruction.

The residents claim that their lives run in a depressing cycle. The rain comes, homes get flooded, they move out, they clean out for months, move back in, then the rain comes again.

The flooding occurs, residents say, because of the dirt that needs to be cleaned from the river bed.

Already, since the start of June, one family has had to move out because their home has been covered with flowing detritus (mud). Others remain in the community with ply-board and zinc placed over windows and doors in a bid to prevent water or dirt from invading their homes.

Earlier this week a single ray of sunlight shone through Beverley Rhoden's sitting room through the front door, left uncovered. Ms. Rhoden has to keep windows and doors under zinc to prevent dirt from crashing into her humble abode.

Kitchen flooded

Last Friday, her kitchen was covered with water when it rained.

"I'm scared," she said.

"Every time it rains I fret. The river bed wants some proper care. Once it gets maintenance we are all right," she added.

It took Ms. Rhoden two years to clean out the debris of dirt and rocks that collided in and around her house during Hurricane Ivan in 2004. Still, when The Gleaner visited her home on Tuesday, dirt in heaps was still embedded at the side and back of her house. Her mother's house is still covered with dirt and rocks.

Ms. Rhoden's neighbour,R.E. Bryan, has four-year-old twin daughters who have resorted to playing and riding their bicycles inside the house since their yard has become covered with dirt.

Since Hurricane Ivan, Ms. Bryan has been trying to reclaim her home. The majority of her furniture was destroyed in this storm. Up until today, tonnes of dirt and rocks remain around her home.

"There is some space now at the side of the house, as recently I had to pay a tractor man $4,000 to clean away the dirt," said Ms. Bryan.

"If I didn't do that the windows and doors wouldn't be able to open," she added.

More grief

After Hurricane Dennis in 2005, it took Ms. Bryan six months to clear her house of the dirt that had crashed into her home.

She and her daughters, who are asthmatic, also had to endure more grief as the family had to reside with relatives in Portmore, St. Catherine, for six months.

"I had to remove my furniture through the top of the house, as it was filled with dirt and water," she recalled.

The residents also say they are fed up with the authorities, who mainly visit the community in eastern St. Andrew when the rain comes and they are flooded out.

"When it rains the politicians them come, tour community, and with a tractor them clean the river and we don't see them again or no follow-up river cleaning is done," said J.D. Samuels, whose house is surrounded by a high concrete wall to keep out the dirt and water.

Ronald Jackson, acting director general of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management, noting that his agency is aware of the concerns at Taylor Land, says the problems facing that community cannot be solved immediately but will have to be addressed over time.

He says, too, that one solution that may have to be considered is the relocation of the residents of the area.

shelly-ann.thompson@gleanerjm.com