Rushing waters from the Hope River in lower Tavern, St Andrew, take this house and a church downriver as rains from Hurricane Ivan pummelled the island on September 11, 2004. - Junior Dowie/Staff Photographer

Each year, many communities across the island are severely affected by flood waters. The causative factors are both man-made and natural factors. In a series of articles, Gleaner investigative reporter Mark Titus, takes an in-depth look at flood-prone Jamaica.

WITH THEIR cries for help unheeded, residents in some of Kingston and St Andrew's flood-prone communities, yet to recover from the devastation of previous flooding, are now resigned to their fate should a disaster occur.

Flooding is a familiar occurrence for the community of Kintyre. Any indication of rainfall is met with uneasiness as the Hope River, which runs by this rural St Andrew neighbourhood, is characterised by high floodwaters.

During the passage of Hurricane Ivan in 2004, approximately 25 dwelling houses, constructed in the vicinity of this unpredictable river channel, were destroyed, including the three-bedroom home of Oliver Jackson, who has been living in the district since 1992.

"From Hurricane Ivan destroy mi house, mi haffi sleep inna mi bathroom," Jackson tells The Gleaner. "I don't know what else to do, I have nowhere to go. Ah beg some help, but all ah get is promises. So right now, if the heavy rain start, like inna Ivan, a di end a mi."

No restorative work

Two old cars occupied the spot where a Church of God chapel once was, demonstrating the impartiality of an 'act of God'. The ruins of homes ravaged in the 2004 disaster still stood, poised on the edge of the boulder-strewn gully, serving as a monumental reminder of the catastrophic experience.

Reiterating the concerns of Jackson, 69-year-old Augustine Gordon says that something worse might be in store for Kintyre and its environs, because except for some work on grinds in the vicinity of the Kintyre Bridge, "no restorative work has been done in the area".

However, The Gleaner has learned that a meticulous study of the ford is being carried out in order to ensure that sustainable work is done. This, according to a source, is being led by Joseph Hibbert, minister of state in the Ministry of Transport and Works. However, it is not known how soon the work will start.

The Kingston and St Andrew Corporation is responsible for the approval of buildings and subdivisions in the parish, and has reportedly been losing millions of dollars in much-needed revenue, due to the failure of citizens to seek the appropriate authorisation to build.

Citizens' fault

"Our citizens need to recognise the importance of obtaining the required permits prior to construction," Calvet Sutherland, acting city engineer, says. "Most of the households that have suffered extensive damage to their homes are those which have failed to utilise the services offered by the KSAC and constructed buildings in areas that are not safe."

"Not only do they suffer during these disasters, but it is the KSAC that has to find resources to assist them, when it could be spent otherwise," Sutherland argues.

mark.titus@gleanerjm.com