Villagers rally to assist with clean up at Murray’s Village

Althea Peters, a resident of Murray’s Village was “praying, telling God help me with this roof over my head” when the wall she had built after her husband’s death collapsed during the recent heavy rains

The road in Murray’s Village before villager Andre Browne and his team got to clearing it

Peters told SEARCHLIGHT on Tuesday, November 19, 2024, that she had already gone inside when she heard “a big crash” outside her home.

“My granddaughter didn’t reach home from work yet, so then I looked out my window to see what happened and I see the shed look like that,” she recounted, referring to a damaged board structure in her yard.

She said the neighbour told her that “the whole bank” fell down. Peters said it is the first time she has experienced something like this and does not have a plan in addressing it due to financial limitations.

“I was praying, telling God help me with this roof over my head,” she told SEARCHLIGHT, adding that she was fearful for the house during the rainfall.

Peters said she built the wall after her husband’s death to make the area look ‘more decent’ and feels a little emotional now that the wall is gone.

While Peters was speaking with SEARCHLIGHT, André Browne, a seasoned contractor of Murray’s Village was helping to clear the main road that was blocked by the embankment and wall.

He said he was expected to work at Diamond on Tuesday, but could not resist the urge to clear the roadblock in his home community.

Browne, who was being assisted by three other young men from the village explained that the Roads, Buildings and General Services Authority-BRAGSA- visited the scene, assessed it and said that they would return. Growing impatient, Browne rallied a few of the community’s young men to help clear the road.

He said though more equipment was needed to complete the task, residents needed some sort of access as the blockage prevented some nearby householders from getting to the main road.

Another nearby resident said they were awake on the night when the wall collapsed very early on the morning of Tuesday, November 19, and quickly ran out to see if the sound had anything to do with their property.

A flash flood warning in effect for SVG on Tuesday, midnight. A release issued by the SVG Meteorological Services dated Tuesday, November 19, advised that the country was expected to experience moderate to heavy showers and thunderstorms, with rainfall amounts reaching nearly 50 millimetres (2 inches) over 24 hours.

The forecast indicated that additional rain could have led to further accumulations, raising concerns about landslides and flash flooding due to moist soils. Consequently, a flash-flood warning was issued until noon on November 19, 2024, urging residents and motorists in flood-prone areas to take precautionary measures to protect life and property.