Imani Tafari-Ama | Surviving the trauma of Hurricane Melissa

The lone woman sitting on the evacuation bus travelling from Port Royal to a designated shelter was an explicit essay. Most residents refused to leave their homes to travel to the public facilities. They clearly agreed with the man who said in the social media reel, “even if it is a Category 6, mi nah move!”

Why do citizens who may be in danger of devastation because of the passage of a Category 5 brute like Hurricane Melissa choose to stay home? Why do they yield to the apparent pattern of protecting property rather than saving life? It is because it is not as cut and dried as that. The reasons for sheltering in place may be numerous and differ from person to person.

Some people have no means to go anywhere else. Others may feel that they will not be negatively affected. Still others may not fully understand the impartial fury of a fierce weather system. To go to the shelter to save life is the obvious reason to board the bus offered. But many still opt not to take advantage of the service because of the uncertainty of what lies at the other end of the ride. Shelters like those near the Plantain Garden River in St Thomas or the Salt Spring church in Montego Bay were destroyed during the storm. This might have provided justification for those who preferred to take their chances with the structures with which they were more familiar.

It was obvious that many shelters did not have the required resources to assist those leaving the temples of their familiar for temporary public accommodation. The triggers for multiple disruption of comfort can prove too much for those unprepared for this burden to handle. Even now, as first consideration goes to clearing roads and getting food and water and other emergency supplies to those in need, the provision of psychosocial support should also be programmed into the planning process, as a top priority.

FOLLOWING UPDATES

From Melissa’s inception, I was following updates by Brian Shields, a meteorologist who operates the Mr Weatherman YouTube channel. Brian’s guidance was a good flagship before Hurricane Beryl last year and he was as on point this year. So, even though I am aware that most people who die during storms do so in their homes, I also figured that, as I have done with other storms, including Ivan, I could stay because the worst that could happen is that the downstairs section of the house could be flooded.

Since Hurricane Ivan struck in 2004, I have made a strong wall on the lakeside, built a patio with a platform and perimeter wall, all designed to keep floodwaters at bay. Since the sea is on the other side of the road, this effort was effective to ward off storm surge impact on the lake, which borders my property. This year, we noted the reduced water levels in the lake before the storm and figured that the authorities had done their due diligence by clearing the channel where the lake connects to the sea.

It was therefore concerning that, after the storm passed, the impact of gravity did not kick in as it usually does, to reduce the extremely high level of the lake waters. A walk down to the channel revealed that the water from the lake was stagnant and backed up by tremendous sand blockage. When I contacted the office of Member of Parliament Juliet Holness, to complain about the dormant channel, I was told that the councillor, Mario Harley, who was responsible for maintenance of the lake area, would address the matter.

Although it is the norm to feel frustration from inadequate performance from our politicians, I must give props where props are due. Mr Harley conceded that insufficient attention had been given to the prevention measures before the onset of the hurricane. However, the enthusiasm of the recovery effort made up for this lapse. The joint labours of the excavator operator and the councillor resulted in significant enlargement of the channel and unrestrained flow of the water from the lake to the sea.

LIGHTLY AFFECTED

Relatively speaking, Kingston was lightly affected by Melissa. Although we got rain and some wind, we were blessed by the south-western turn that the storm took. Our good fortune was sharply contrasted by what happened in the western section of the island where the eye of the storm came ashore. Manchester, St. Elizabeth, Clarendon, Westmoreland, Hanover, Trelawny, St James and St. Ann were ransacked by 185 miles per hour winds, rain and extreme flooding.

In addition to lost roofs and devastation of complete houses, transportation options, electricity and connectivity or livelihoods, many persons have been marooned and disconnected from loved ones. This disaster was not only a problem that has devastated physical infrastructure. Mental health for many people is a major concern as the stress of loss takes a toll. At the time of writing, two days after the exit of the hurricane, 11 persons were confirmed dead.

Those who had zinc or shingle roofs were certain to have lost the coverings of their dwellings during the storm, while even stronger structures were shattered. Westmoreland, located in the traditional sugar cane belt, is notorious for its wooden houses, which are usually placed on stilts to secure their base. These would have been treated like cardboard boxes in Melissa’s elevated wind gusts. Many lost trees, agricultural plants and other environmental assets. The anxiety caused by broken communication systems and disruption of life as previously known is now a node for counsellors to address with urgency. It will be years before those affected are likely to achieve the level of equilibrium that is measured as normalcy.

Following his aerial overview of the damage, Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness, leader of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), caused some public angst when he started his reconnaissance tour in St Elizabeth and failed to continue to Westmoreland. This move was read as politicising the recovery assessment, since he is from St Elizabeth and Westmoreland is largely supported by the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP).

Having a country divided along partisan lines could prove to be a major risk to meeting targets at a time when a unified effort at a development reset is demanded of those in charge of future planning.

Imani Tafari-Ama, PhD, is a Pan-African advocate and gender and development specialist. Send feedback to i.tafariama@gmail.com and columns@gleanerjm.com.