Rasbert Turner, Gleaner Writer

Karelle McKenzie uses a rope to pull her bed onto a platform in the ceiling as she braced for possible flooding in Nightingale Grove, St. Catherine, yesterday. - Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer

SPANISH TOWN, St. Catherine:

Several residents of the flood-prone Nightingale Grove community in St. Catherine, are considering selling out and fleeing to safety.

However, it seems no one wants to buy, say the residents.

"Some people think that the land we are living on is captured, and coupled with the flooding reputation, we are unable to sell our houses even if we want to," remarked Florett McKenzie, a householder who lives along Cedar Avenue.

A frustrated McKenzie showed the news team a section of her ceiling which has been converted into a lift panel where her bed, chair, television, suitcases, clothing, food items and various other necessities are stored whenever rain is forecast. She said that this is standard procedure for residents of the community.

Samuel Clunis, the president of the citizens' association, confirmed the residents' concerns and said he hopes that promised work on the gully will start soon.

Meanwhile, Richard Azan, State Minister in the Ministry of Housing, Water, Transport and Works and Member of Parliament for the area, Everard Warmington, yesterday insisted that work had already commenced on the gully and would be resuming today.

No work on gully

However, when The Gleaner spoke with Howard Surridge, the contractor from the National Works Agency, he said the only work that he had done was to cut a road that would lead to the gully. He said no actual work had been done on the gully but added that it would commence shortly.

Multiple floods affected the southern town in 2005 with Hurricane Wilma delivering the knockout blow in October ,marooning several residents. Nearly a third of the 270 lots in the Nightingale housing scheme were badly flooded.