City residents continue to complain of debris and water seeping into their houses
As we have been reporting, the persistent rains have dropped a couple of inches of water in many houses and yards around the City. The situation has become unbearable for many residents whose furniture and other household effects have been damaged. The lack or blockage of drains caused the water line to rise. Affected residents also say debris has also seeped into their houses. Duane Moody reports.
Duane Moody, Reporting
Several families around the city have been affected by the downpour during this week. The waterline rose in several areas around the city including St. Martin De Porres, Fort George, Jane Usher Boulevard Area as well as Belama Phase Four. For Beverly Whylie when there is nonstop rain for a day, her house is inundated.
Beverly Whylie
Beverly Whylie, Resident, Majestic Alley
“Whenever it rains over a whole day or night, the place flooded with water. Sometime it come in from dah front, sometimes ih come in from dah back. Well this trip yah, it come from dah front and all the dirt and everything pile ina di place. Every day I try clean out wah lee bit or try put kerosene oil ina di water fi make mosquito noh weh di thing name. I bail out weh I could bail out.”
Duane Moody
“So you are walking through water to get to…”
Beverly Whylie
“Yes. When I go to mi lee stove go cook, I eena water ina di kitchen. Water in there right now. The two rooms dehn still have water. This dah di part weh go down the fastest ina di house.”
Duane Moody
“This always happens?”
Beverly Whylie
“Always happens since I live yah and now like it get worse.”
Duane Moody
“How high did the water go?”
Beverly Whylie
“Well I noh know. It reach to yah so. When I put my foot ina di water sometime ih usually reach to yah. Well ih reach all the way to yah this time yah. That’s why we put the pallet and still reach up pan top of the pallet yah.”
In the Jane Usher Boulevard area, according to residents, water rose up to a foot high; flooding their yards. And in the aftermath of the downpour on Tuesday and Wednesday, large craters overflowing with water are making streets almost impassable. For one resident, the deplorable condition of the street is frustrating.
Sarah Martinez
Sarah Martinez, Resident, Jane Usher Boulevard Area
“I noh know weh di happen because from I live back yah ina di eighties, this street always deh like that. dah noh today. So I woulda really need some help fi make dehn try look into it.”
Duane Moody
“I notice it goes from street corner to street corner and the kids have to walk through it.”
Sarah Martinez
“Yeah dah true. I gone dah di area rep and ah noh get no help. Dehn just say go and comeback; go and comeback and right so. The street still deh deh like that.”
Tony Ricardez
But it is Belama Phase Four where the following images show that that there is need for urgent attention. This thick, deep clay mixture is what Tony Ricardez and his family as well as other residents in the area need to traverse through to get to work, school and out of the area. While for him it is unbearable, Ricardez says he is lucky he has a vehicle.
Tony Ricardez, Resident, Belama Phase Four
“It’s about two and a half foot on this whole right ehre that we have to pass every day and over there is worse. So it is a…we’ve been here for three years and nothing noh di happen.”
Duane Moody
“That’s thick mud, deep mud that you need to go through?”
Tony Ricardez
“Yes I can show you right now when I come through.”
Duane Moody
“And students have to walk through this and all of that?”
Tony Ricardez
“Students have to walk here and just recently we had some cables that people run right on the mud and I tell the students don’t walk on them cause you could get electrocuted. It is dangerous.”
Duane Moody
“How long has this been ongoing? Is it only during the rainy season that it gets like this?”
Tony Ricardez
“No it is all the time. Even if it doesn’t rain, it is water right here. And it is clay, all clay. I fill it up once, but then I can’t keep filling it up all the time.”
Osvaldo Zetina
Osvaldo Zetina, Resident, Belama Phase Four
“If yo notice around yonder more deeper to past through with yo motorbike. This dah weh we go through every day. A couple months ago, the mayor said that they know that dehn mi wah do something to the street yah, but up to now dehn noh really do anything about it. And this dah weh we go through every day. Right now dah because the rainy season deh between the middle ah di time right now. So when ih really start rain wah lot, we wah can’t even pass yah.”
With regards to the flooded drains around the city, as promised by acting mayor, Bernard Q. Pitts Junior, today City Council workmen were going around manually removing debris and materials that have been clogging the drains. Duane Moody for News Five.
