Ulster Spring residents dread 2020 hurricane season
Residents of Ulster Spring in Trelawny want something different this hurricane season - they want attention. They believe that in times of natural disasters, they get little to no attention or assistance from the Government. With unprecedented hardship brought on by COVID-19, they are now calling for a change.
Sharon Edwards has been living in Ulster Springs for 20 years. Time and time again, storms have caused damage to her house.
"Based on where my house located, a lot of water usually comes down off the hill and comes in the house. It's not really a landslide, but a lot of water coming off the hill. That's something that affected me before ... all my banana blow down," she said. "When we have disasters, the attention is always in the more populated areas. The persons within the country areas here get less attention and support. Sometimes, we as neighbours, would have to be there for each other, even in cleaning up and rebuilding," Edwards said.
Nazarine Smith says they are tired of being left behind.
"Sometimes your roof might look like it alright, but you see when the rain and wind start, it gone. Right now, I'm telling my son that we need to put something at the front of the door because if a hurricane come now, everything a come inside," said Smith.
She said the community is not prepared for the hurricane season, and political intervention is a must.
"I have been affected by hurricanes here before. House blow down, people rooftop fly off, and one time me did affi tie down the top of my house with chain and put block on top of it. We nuh get no help," she said.
Smith recounts how the community struggled to get back to normality, without assistance, after they were devastated by a hurricane some time ago.
"We didn't have anything to eat after. We were just on the edge. I was one of the shelter managers in the community and I could hardly get things from Falmouth to give to the people. I had to do all the cooking from my own pocket and distribute to people," she said. "I am getting old now ... I am not in a position to do that now. Crossing all those big trees and all of that, I won't be in a position to do that."
A yam farmer who goes by the name 'Scrapy' is also crying out for help.
"If hurricane come and lick dem down now, me definitely inna problem. That happen to me all the while inna hurricane. Anytime you see disaster come, a problem! At the end of the day, we really nah get no help, so we affi gwane balance pon we own. A dis alone me do fi provide fi my family and my six children," he said.