Flooding Forces Evacuations in Crooked Tree
A weather system that crossed over the region over the last two days has dumped a significant amount of rainfall in most parts of the country, specifically over Wednesday night. The unyielding downpour compromised the low-lying boundaries of Crooked Tree, forcing five families to evacuate their homes and seek refuge at the village’s hurricane shelter. In one case, a house occupied by a couple collapsed with them inside. News Five’s Marion Ali went to Crooked Tree today and filed the following report.
Sharlette Gray
Sharlette Gray, Lost house in flood
“I out my phone and I lay down deh, me and my bwaifren and sudden one all I hear da like crack, crack. Ah tell ahn, “Mark, I di hear like sonting di crack up.” And he tell me, “stop di worry, babe” and sudden one by the time he seh stop di worry da because me, he and everything di goh sideway.”
Marion Ali, Reporting
Luckily for Sharlette Gray, she and her boyfriend made it out of their house unscathed when it came crashing down during incessant rains sometime after six on Wednesday evening. Gray believes it was a refrigerator that was beneath the house that saved their lives.
Sharlette Gray
“I have to thank God fi that, Miss because I di tell yoh, if hear wa refridge weh we have neva deh underneath da house bottom deh, da everying mi wa come blam right down pahn me, mi two parrot and mi spouse. Soh, I have to thank God fi that.”
But now the couple, displaced by the damage and the loss of all their possessions, is one of five families seeking shelter at the Crooked Tree Multipurpose Building.
Brandon Gillett
Brandon Gillett, Chairman, Crooked Tree Village
“So far we have evacuated five families due to the flooding in the community and the water is just constantly rising but we evacuate them, have them in the multipurpose building. We are working to get food packages and blankets, mattresses and stuff from NEMO for them.”
Claudeth Adolphus told News Five that she stepped off her bed in knee-high water inside her house.
Claudeth Adolphus
Claudeth Adolphus, Flood victim
“I woke up this morning about two o’clock off my bed straight to my knee in water.”
Marion Ali
“That’s not common in regular rains, right?”
Claudeth Adolphus
“No ma’am, first time in thirteen years. I live back there thirteen years and first time I see it so bad like that, you know.”
Marion Ali
“Okay. Have you lost any household appliances?”
Claudeth Adolphus
“Well, my refridge, my stove are still in water right now. I nuh move anything, just me and the children first.”
Altogether at the shelter, there are ten adults and six children. They are in the care of the National Emergency Management Organization, NEMO.
Lionel Smith
Lionel Smith, Rural North District Coordinator, NEMO
“We’re strategizing and seeing how we can come up with some humanitarian assistance for the affected residents, noh. A complete and thorough assessment has not been done at this time. Right now our main concern is to get the people out of the flood homes and get them to higher grounds in the shelter. After this then a complete assessment of the situation will be carried out, then we’ll know what kind of humanitarian assistance they will need in terms of more temporary housing or longer stays in the shelter system or even maybe with relief supplies, yoh know.”
The rapid flood waters also eroded a portion of the village’s main road near the entrance. Personnel from the Ministry of Infrastructure Development arrived while we were there.
Brandon Gillett
“We were getting rain in Crooked Tree for the past two days, so the Ministry is trying to work as quick as possible to get it filled so I think when you guys go back you should see dump trucks coming in and start to full it up.”
By the time we left a couple hours later, the strip of road had already been filled. But while that has been fixed, the lives of the people at the shelter have been momentarily put on pause. For Claudeth Adolphus, while she may have lost her household appliances, all is still well because they have life, and each other.
Claudeth Adolphus
“Wi have life, wi have strength, wi have health and that’s important. With that you can do all kind of stuff.”
Marion Ali
“And you have your pets.”
Claudeth Adolphus
“Mein, God is good. (Laughs)”
Marion Ali For News Five.
