Iona Daley stands on pieces of the broken walls that once were a part of her house. Beside her is the stream that runs behind her home. - Leighton Williams

For the past three weeks, Iona Daley has only been able to live in half of her house, after the recent heavy rains, which lashed the islands, cut the dwelling in two.

Daley, 54, who lives in Eleven Miles, Bull Bay, St. Thomas, said her concrete house has a deep foundation had survived Hurricanes Ivan, Dennis, Emily and Dean. But, it was the rains which drenched the island three weeks ago that have robbed her of her kitchen, bathroom, a bedroom and has left several cracks in the wall.

"I was here in the night when I heard some rumbling and felt the ground shaking. My son who was here said 'mama is not a earthquake dis yuh nuh'. So him throw a shirt ova mi head wi go outside fi go next door. When mi reach di gate mi hear di noise and di whole a di house back gone," she said.

A half of the 17-year-old structure collapsed and on the other half water marks have stained the walls of her living room, as a stream behind the house rose several feet forcing her to abandon most of what was left of her home.

"See all di water mark deh," she said, pointing to lines in her house. "Right now deh door deh mash up and deh one deh caan open cause a di water wha crack di wall."

Long periods

Daley said she moved to the area in the 1970s, but did not buy the property she lives on until 1990. She said at that time the stream was below her property and only had water whenever it rained for long periods. Daley said since Hurricane Ivan in 2004, the stream has run constantly and has already overflowed its banks and flooded her home. She said the constant running has eroded her backyard totally and now finally her home appears to be heading downstream as well.

"Di lady up deh so buil' a wall so it nuh really affect har. We complain to the councillor and tractor come one time an' a nex' time some people come an seh dem a go buil wall. Dat a before election. Since then nobody nuh come back," she said.

When THE STAR visited Daley's home, the walls of her bathroom, her bath tub, doors, windows and other household items lay crumbled beside the stream. Her kitchen appliance,s although inside the part of the house still standing were covered in mud. And, the only thing which remained of her bathroom was her toilet which she cannot use because the pipes are all broken.

THE STAR was unable to get a comment from Gary Lee Henry, councillor for the area. Calls to his cellphone went unanswered.

Daley has not moved because she has nowhere else to go. She is appealing for some form of help from the public. "If mi could a move mi would a do it long time but mi nuh have no money or nowhere fi go. A jus God mercy a keep mi. Mi would a really like some help because mi nuh know wha else fi do," she said.