Well, I like I talk too fast the other day when we had a good set o’ rain and Holetown did not experience any real flooding, ’cause looka what could happen now – even the very police station dey get flood out.
From the amount o’ rain dat we had and fuh the length o’ time dat it was falling, I expected dat a lot o’ damage would have been done all ’cross the island, especially in the north where the people at the Met Office were saying the bad weather was coming from. But, tuh be truthful, I did not expect dat amount o’ damage.
I look there in the newspapers over the last couple o’ days and could not believe my eyes when I see people cleaning out the West Mall, along wid the police station dat I mention, and Discovery Bay Hotel.
I ain’t know dat theseis places dat would normally get flooded out but I gine tell ya, duh get a li’l dose o’ what a lot o’ people all ’cross the island have been experiencing evah time the rain up and decide dat it gine just fall.
As I said, the people at the Met Office was talking ’bout the system being in the West North West, so I didn’t think dat it would have affected too many people in the southern parishes; at least I hoped not, ’cause dem people up there in Christ Church and parts o’ St Philip get a good drenching not too long ago and I am sure dat dem ain’t recover from it up tuh now.
Some o’ dem mussee ain’t shut duh two eye since dah rain start falling Sunday night, hoping and praying dat duh won’t get a repeat performance suh soon after dat last one dat I am sure really knock dem fuh a six.
I read there how one woman say dat she got out of her bed and step straight in tuh water. Well, I know how dat feels because when I get up in the night and went in the bathroom, the rain was still pouring and I step right into a big able pool o’ water, almost up tuh my ankles. My bathroom was soaked, so I stepped right outta my bedroom slippers, left dem there, got a towel, dry off my feet, get back into my bed and pray dat I won’t catch nuh kind o’ lining cold. Suh far suh good. Dat was the extent o’ my damage, thank God!
Well, the rains have passed and all kinda damage get do. While duh ain’t seem tuh have had much damage along the coastal areas, it look like duh had a lot o’ flooding in the St James and St Michael areas, especially The City.
The other thing is dat a good few housetops get blow off wid dem strange winds. I hear somebody say dat duh had winds in some areas something like 80 km, and a young fellow pon TV say dat he feel dat we experience a tornado from the way how the wind was blowing and getting on.
Well, soul, I gine tell ya now: I glad enough dat it done and gone long where it gine, hear?
We ’bout here, as much as we talking ’bout houses build strong and all o’ dat, we really ain’t able wid this kinda severe weather, be it water or wind.As I always say, it could be worse ’cause wid all the different types o’ damage, nuhbody ain’t dead; and talking ’bout dat, look how a woman almost lost her life simple so.
It is a good thing dat she had the common sense tuh get outta the car and climb up pon the roof ’cause, look, dat whole car was submerged – all ya coulda see was the bare front o’ the top o’ the car, which was the part dat she was probably sitting on while waiting fuh help.
I thank God fuh those trees dat probably help dat car from going any further.
And thank God fuh dem brave young firemen, hear? Dem fellas just got in tuh dat raging water and wid the help o’ the other men pon the bridge, hustle dat girl outta the water and up tuh safety; it look like one o’ dem search and rescues from pon an American programme.
I just want tuh say a big congratulations and thank you tuh our brave firemen and women and the police, who day in and day out continue tuh risk their lives for others.
• Mavis Beckles was born and raised in The Orleans. She has an opinion on everything.