Home Or Hazard: The Return To Content Manchester | TVJ News

本站添加: 2026-05-10

[00:00:00]To another primetime news follow up.

[00:00:01]Now, fear and uncertainty is gripping one community following the devastating flood that left many homes covered after Hurricane Melissa. Romario Lyons has part one of this primetime news special report, home or hazard, the return to Content, Manchester.

[00:00:18]>> [snorts] >> Months ago, roadways disappeared.

[00:00:22]Properties where people built families and made memories reduced to somewhat of a disaster attraction. We are exploring and giving you guys live and direct coverage of the houses underwater. There was discontent in Content, Manchester.

[00:00:36]Millions of dollars in damage. Anything you can think of drenched. This was when the water began receding after weeks, taking with it the greenery of some vegetation and leaving roadways in a dull brown. Now, today, stillness. Some houses hold no guests, just waterlogged memories. No cheers to the future. Back in my house.

[00:01:00]Still not comfortable. Just a few people have really started to clean up and start coming. On April 29, 2026, the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority, NARA Act, was passed by the House of Representatives. NARA will serve as a central coordinating authority for post-hurricane reconstruction designed to eliminate bureaucracy, fragmentation, and project delays. Approved reconstruction and resilience projects are government-led projects that NARA will coordinate, implement, or oversee directly. Projects under this pillar include the climate-resilient reconstruction and relocation of communities from high-risk zones. That's exactly what Content has become for Omar Atkinson, who's lived there for over 40 years. Move us from here. That's the only thing can do. What you going to wait until what? Somebody get hurt? Uh Feeling is nervous cuz you know what happen. His response to the question, "Why return?"

[00:02:01]It's the first it flood like this.

[00:02:03]It's the first anybody ever seen it flood like this. It's not like the rain fall and it full up.

[00:02:09]This water return up. So, we can What can we do about that? We never know what for from I live here what? I'm what? 45.

[00:02:18]I've never seen water come up here before. The rising water levels occurred after prolonged rainfall associated with Hurricane Melissa, managing director of the Water Resources Authority Peter Clarke on November 13th, 2025.

[00:02:31]There's an aquifer. Water is flowing underneath the whole of those lands and those properties. But, it is not the normal aquifer that a lot of you are accustomed to, which is a sand earth kind of aquifer. It is more limestone.

[00:02:46]So, because of the limestone, there are number of conduits and caves and caverns that are underground. Too risky to stay, but too costly to leave. It's hard to do that.

[00:02:58]Property is not cheap.

[00:03:01]How you're going to buy a property, build back a house, start back life?

[00:03:04]How? There's a similar argument from another resident, Peter Gardner. His home wasn't completely submerged, but the threat level is just as daunting.

[00:03:13]>> Whatever money you used to repair it, use it and do the necessary repairs and come back in. Maybe in next 20 years before we might have such a situation again. So, therefore, I think it's very much necessary for people come back in the year and do whatever they can do.

[00:03:27]Following recent rainfall this year, some residents again saw water rising.

[00:03:31]So, every year you're going to have to be worrying about that, worrying about that.

[00:03:35]The little rain we got yesterday, down there it was full with water.

[00:03:39]Nobody knows because it didn't come on the road. But, down there the water was catching wickedly. Mere weeks to the start of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, Mr. Gardner is sowing seeds of optimism.

[00:03:51]>> We don't know. It might happen and it might not happen. But then and again it is just a situation in which you have to just hope for the best.

[00:04:00]And there's nothing else you can do.

[00:04:01]Whatever is to happen, you cannot stop it. Man cannot stop the creation of God.

[00:04:05]But with the financial flood that came crashing down late last year, it's something residents would rather not face again. They put a lot of stuff upstairs. Everything they put upstairs we lost.

[00:04:17]I lose most of my all of my work were upstairs. That's I'm thinking that yes, that's very high up there, so it would be safe. Cuz I never seen water come this high ever before, so Upstairs I may lose almost 300, 400,000 dollar in a tool and equipment. My wife and children got a bit timid and coward saying the place is going to flood, so the house was emptied. All the furnitures and everything was taken out.

[00:04:43]And to the to the distant and to the journey in which the furnitures have to be moved, then a quite a few got damaged going out and coming in with them.

[00:04:53]>> All that could be repeated. While Nard could offer relief, that itself remains in an embryo stage. The Senate commenced debate on Friday, May 1 for the legislation. It was passed about 1:30 a.m. after more than 8 hours of debate with the government securing 31 votes to the opposition's 15. 16 lawmakers were absent. But while lawmakers debate, residents are forced to debate their next move. More from officials tomorrow.

[00:05:21]Remainder Lyons, TVJ News.