Is the worse yet to come? - Mahaicony residents fear more high tides

Is the worse yet to come? – Mahaicony residents fear more high tides

Oct 04, 2019 News

Residents along the coastland in the Mahaicony District are not convinced that the worst is over, even though the last high tide was supposed to be on Wednesday.

The distance between the ocean and the Bellamy Canal.

Farmers clambering over washed up mangrove trees during the trek on the seashore.

They have been watching the water levels and have observed a rise between the 06:00 and 08:00 hours yesterday morning, when a reporter of this publication attempted to venture out to the seashore to observe the extent of the “breach” of the sea defence.
However a few hours later the water receded.
At around 12:00 hours the dam leading out to the seashore was accessible to the only vehicle available, which was able to manoeuvre through the thick mud: a tractor.
A few farmers decided to tag along for the bumpy, messy ride, which turned out to be way more eventful than expected.
On both sides of the dam there were yellowing fields of rice flooded with salt water. The farmers informed that the floods came when the rice was close to cutting time. The water stayed, and most of the harvest rotted.
“Most millers gun reject this damage rice and we can’t use it for seed paddy, most likely we gun have to sell it as fowl feed,” one farmer lamented. It is estimated that none of the farmers in the area lost less than $4M, to the sea waters.
Some distance before crossing over the bridge at the Bellamy Canal, a hymac operator was observed packing mud to build a sort of wall to entrap the sea water to prevent more flooding.
This publication was informed that the residents had been at this for days, as the water kept washing the ‘dam’ away.
With the tide that was expected last night they were worried that the freshly packed mud wouldn’t hold.

The hymac packing mud to build the wall.

Evidence of erosion along the defence on the shoreline.

Over the canal and on to the seashore, everyone had to disembark and the mile and a half walk in the blazing sun to locate the breach and to see the extent of the damage done to the defences.
Approximately 10 minutes into the trek that took us over washed-up and dead mangroves and evidently dislocated granite boulders, the first breach was spotted.
It was a few feet wide and the previous height of the earthen wall could have been seen. This was an approximately two to four feet higher than the passage made by the angry waves.
While some of the granite boulders which acted as a backup to strengthen the wall were still in place, others were strewn all over.
At one point over the defence there was a huge pile of sand and residents claim that this was built up over a period of a few days. Further up the shore line three other small breaches as well as two larger ones were discovered. It raised concern because while some amount of water was being drained into the ocean, more water would return to the rice-fields if the tide rose again.

Rocks strewn over the defence.

Looking over to the ocean the waves were already hitting the boulders and it was only a little after 14:00 hours. It was decided that it was wiser to head back to the tractor before the water submerged the breaches and made them impassable.
Heading out into the village of Dantzig, the water on the dam, in the trenches and fields seemed to have risen a little and the hymac operator was working tirelessly to raise the wall higher before sundown.
A number of residents of the affected communities were upset in the manner with which the situation was handled. “Since the first time it break and the high tide didn’t come yet they could have fixed it and avoided all if this,” a resident complained.
It was their opinion that the contractor chosen to do the job did shoddy work. They felt that the rocks should have withstood the force of the waves.
Residents queried whether they will receive any financial assistance, for loss of crops, livestock, furniture and appliances.
“The water came so suddenly I didn’t even get time to move anything. It soak up my children mattress, damage my carpet and chair set,” a female resident commented.
From observation as well as information received most of the residents never heard the alert sent out about the tides, and others if they prepared they didn’t do so sufficiently.