Man says floodwaters swept him from his bed

As Hurricane Melissa unleashed its fury across Jamaica on Tuesday, bottom Halse Hall in the south of Clarendon became a watery battlefield for some residents.

Derrick Green said the rising floodwaters invaded his board dwelling and brought a chilling deja vu - memories of 2021. Then, during the passage of Tropical Storm Elsa, he had to carry his mother-in-law through chest-high water to safety.

"We haffi take her out in the flood and she dead after," he said, adding that the woman's demise was due to complications of pneumonia.

Green's house sits on notoriously flood-prone land. Water collects at the back of his yard, turning the premises into a swamp whenever it rains. Although Green's neighbourhood was not among the seven communities given mandatory evacuation orders ahead of Melissa, he knows the dangers all too well.

"Right whe mi live a the wickedest part a the community," he said.

"Every day down here wash whey, all if somebody throw away a cup a water the place flood. We need a soak away or supme," he added.

During the hurricane, Green stayed behind to protect his belongings while his family sought shelter elsewhere. He claimed that as waters surged, he stood on his bed to avoid being swept away, only to be toppled by the force of the flood, injuring his face.

"All when mi stand up on di bed whe deh pon block mi have to be swimming," he said.

"One a di time the water kick mi off and mi drop and lick up mi face. The water nuh have anywhere to run away too so it continue to back up," he said.

But an elderly resident said authorities had advised locals to relocate, but many refused.

"Other people use to live here and the government moved them, but after that other people come and capture it, so a dis a reach them now," he said.

"From mi live here from mi a eight this place have a flooding issue, and dat was why the government moved who was living there first," he added.

The senior citizen's comments sparked anger among some residents.

"Move from yah, all a we nuh have money to move because mi naah sell mi body. Dem need to come and fix the place because it can happen," a female resident shouted.

Throughout bottom Halse Hall, the aftermath of Melissa was clear. Water-drenched furniture and household items were placed in the sun to dry while families began clean-up efforts.

"It nuh make sense we buy furniture because yuh buy it dem soak when rain fall," Akeem Morrison said.

Morrison, 19, said many families took precautions ahead of the hurricane. While roofs were secured, water still forced its way inside through doors and windows.

"We baton down the house top, but we can't baton we doorway. The water just come in. I am 19 years old and mi born and grow inna water," he said.