Darliston misery mounting

Western Bureau:

More than three months after Hurricane Melissa battered western Jamaica, life in sections of Darliston in Westmoreland remains defined by darkness, uncertainty, and mounting frustration, as residents continue to grapple with prolonged electricity and water outages that have disrupted daily life and tested their mental health.

Darliston, Westmoreland, have been living without electricity since the passage of Hurricane Melissa,” one resident told The Gleaner during a recent visit to the community.

“Living without electricity for so long has been very stressful, depressing and challenging ... . Being without electricity is like taking a step back from civilisation.”

For families with children, especially those with special needs, the hardship has been overwhelming. The resident, who has nine-year-old twins, one of whom is autistic with an intellectual disability, described the emotional toll the outage has taken on her household.

“This has really taken a toll on us mentally, especially when it involves dealing with kids ... . Kids that are also on the [autism] spectrum, who are special needs that now have to adapt to such a huge change, when one of their biggest challenges is a change of routine.”

Bluntly, she said, “It’s basically like we’re living in the Stone Age.”

Without refrigeration, families are forced to limit what they cook and eat.

“We’re having to cook limited food due to the fact that heat will result in the foodstuff getting spoiled, because we cannot refrigerate anything,” she said.

For her autistic daughter, the lack of electricity affects far more than this child’s comfort.

“I experience intense stress, guilt and anxiety because of the change of routine and disruptions [that] threaten my child’s sense of safety and stability,” she said. “It’s a known fact that autistic kids often have meltdowns when there are changes.”

Those meltdowns, she said, are now more a daily occurrence than what her child’s routine usually entails.

Meanwhile, food that was once planned and predictable has now become a trigger for her child.

“Autistic kids overall are picky eaters. It could be based on the smell of certain food, the texture, the colour. I think it’s safe to say every autistic child loves chicken nuggets,” she said. “My daughter hasn’t had any since the passing of the hurricane because ... things like that will have to be put in the fridge.”

Yoghurt, sausages, waffles, and meatballs are also staples in her child’s diet, but those options are now temporarily off the table.

“That’s where the meltdowns come in, because it is hard for them to try any other food as opposed to what they’re used to,” she said.

Even simple coping mechanisms are compromised, leaving this mother feeling helpless.

“She’s also hooked on watching YouTube to comfort her, which is an issue also because the data services will not work properly,” the mother said, noting the disruptions to both Flow and Digicel in the area.

However, another Darliston resident described a broader ongoing crisis across eastern Westmoreland, where water shortage is like an added wound on top of the electricity outage.

“Persons have to be buying water daily,” the resident said. “At one instance, 750 gallons of water was sold for $13,500, and the water could not be used for anything but the bathroom and to wash.”

With leptospirosis cases still occurring, concerns about health are growing.

“Persons have to be using bleach and chlorine to help to protect themselves,” the resident said. “The skin is itching, all kind of breaking-out and so forth.”

MISUSE A PROBLEM

However, poison information coordinator at the University of Technology, Sherika Whitelocke-Ballingsingh, cautioned that problems often arise from misuse rather than the chemicals themselves.

“Overuse of it without a proper dilution factor can result in both dermatological and health problems,” she said, urging Jamaicans to seek guidance on correct chlorine and bleach concentrations when treating water, especially now.

She further noted that improper dilution is common during emergencies such as hurricanes and pandemics, especially when residents are forced to treat water on their own.

The resident further told The Gleaner that access to public services has also been severely limited. Although the tax office in Darliston is open, the resident said, “No business can be done there that requires Internet,” which has forced residents to travel to Savanna-la-Mar to transact some businesses, a trip that can take an entire day, or more.

“There is still so much going on. Persons are frustrated,” the resident said, expressing scepticism in relation to the data being reported.

“When it says four per cent of the populace is left without electricity, I don’t know if it’s four per cent of the paying customers or what, but something needs to be clarified.”

The frustration has only been intensified as weeks stretch on into months.

“Three months have passed and persons who live close to the actual town of Darliston are still without light,” she said. “Give us a timeline.”

The Jamaica Public Service (JPS), in partnership with the Government, had recently commissioned an emergency mobile power-generating unit in Darliston, nearly three months after Hurricane Melissa made landfall.

Energy Minister Daryl Vaz had said traditional restoration methods were not viable due to the extent of the damage, while JPS President Hugh Grant explained that the mobile unit was part of a “deliberate choice to provide temporary solutions safely while the rebuilding progressed”.

While JPS says 97 per cent of customers islandwide have been restored, residents in sections of Darliston say the figure offers little comfort, as some communities remain without light more than three months after the hurricane.

“Just like water, electricity is essential,” the mother of the autistic child said. “So I’m just hoping that .... . wWe’ll be able to regain electricity and go about living our normal lives again.”

Until then, she said, “I’m hanging in there.”

mickalia.kington@gleanerjm.com