Westmoreland families still without proper homes as hurricane season begins

Seven months after Hurricane Melissa struck Eastern Westmoreland, some residents remain without secure housing as the June 1 start of the hurricane season deepens fears about what could happen if another storm affects Jamaica.

In communities where the hurricane’s eye passed over last year, people are still sheltering under tarpaulins, in tents and in badly damaged homes. Forecasters are expecting a below-average season, with eight to 14 named storms possible. Three to six of those systems could become hurricanes, including one to three major hurricanes.

For residents still recovering from Melissa, even a quieter forecast offers little comfort. O’Brien Green, who lives in Belmont, Bluefields, has been staying in a tent since his house was destroyed. He showed the cramped space where he sleeps and said he needs assistance, recalling that a coconut struck him on the head during the storm.

Carlton Lawson, who has lived for years in a board house, is also struggling with the damage left behind. The storm tore through the structure, leaving doors down and furniture ruined, and he said he has had to stay under a neighbour’s cellar. “Me no want to live like that,” he said, explaining that he had a place of his own before losing it.

Maxine Lawson said she has been repeatedly checking her messages while waiting for word on a roof grant application. She said she is saddened by her situation, unable to pay for the repairs and currently out of work.

Some residents have turned to hardware stores for building supplies on credit, despite not knowing how they will meet the payments. They say they are holding on to hope that help will come from somewhere.

Many had expected to be in stronger homes by the start of this hurricane season. Instead, for those still displaced in Eastern Westmoreland, rebuilding after Melissa remains unfinished.