Cave Valley in St. Ann begins cleanup as floodwaters recede

 

Floodwaters in Cave Valley in St. Ann have receded and residents are now faced with the mammoth task of rebuilding after Hurricane Melissa left the area submerged.

 

As Radio Jamaica News correspondent Lloyd Hinds reports, the damage and loss are significant. 

 

When the team visited the town of Cave Valley on Monday afternoon, a trail of destruction was evident. 

 

Business operators and residents were badly affected by the storm in the town, which known to experience flooding.

 

On Monday, they were busy putting back the pieces, trying to mop up their businesses and homes that have been saturated by water and covered in mud. 

 

Cave Valley is known for cash crops such as lettuce, pak choi, callaloo and yam. But the area's farmlands have been totally washed out, wiping away these crops.

 

Some roads in the area are still blocked, forcing people coming from St. Ann heading to Manchester to seek alternative routes. 

 

In the meantime, Hugh Johnson, the owner of a service station and plaza in the town, said the flooding this time around was unprecedented. 

 

Mr. Johnson said he is again facing millions of dollars in losses, similar to the passage of Hurricane Ivan in 2004. 

 

Another resident of Cave Valley who identified himself as 'Coffee', believes a solution could have been found for the flooding years ago if the authorities had listened to the residents. 

 

"Everytime di bigger people dem come, wi tell dem seh, look here, Cave Valley is not the problem. One river course deh top side wi, that is the problem of Cave Valley. So, you see, instead a di people dem a fix di real problem, dem fix di fake problem and lef di real problem fi put wi inna problem," he lamented.

 

In the meantime, he said the community is in urgent need of food, water, bedding, and materials to build.

 

At least one person from the community, a young man, died after reportedly drowning along with his goats during the hurricane.