Mixed concerns in St Catherine as Hurricane Melissa looms closer
Loading article...
-
Waterford residents protest neglect of Adair Drive gully ahead of Hurricane Melissa on Monday.
-
Along the usually busy Portmore fishing village near the old Forum Hotel, the beachfront was deserted as most fishermen packed up and left ahead of worsening weather on Monday.
-
Basil Smith, who lives in a makeshift hut near the Portmore fishing village, said he intended to stay put amid Hurricane Melissa on Monday.
-
In Waterford on Monday, dozens of residents took to the streets to protest what they said was decades of neglect of the Adair Drive gully.
As Hurricane Melissa looms closer, most St Catherine residents appear to be taking official warnings seriously, preparing for heavy rains, strong winds, and flooding expected when the storm makes landfall Tuesday.
However, some coastal dwellers, particularly fishermen, remained defiant despite repeated appeals to evacuate low-lying areas.
Along the usually busy Portmore fishing village near the old Forum Hotel, the area was deserted as most fishermen packed up and left ahead of worsening weather on Monday. But Basil Smith, who lives in a makeshift hut nearby, said he intended to stay put.
“I am not leaving; I will not go to any shelter. I was here when Beryl passed through and I will be here when this one come and gone,” Smith told The Gleaner.
A few other fishermen lingered along the beach to protect their boats.
“I can’t leave my boat here; I have to be around to see that it is safe. That’s my livelihood, I can’t afford to lose it,” said a fisherman who identified himself as Tim.
In Waterford, dozens of residents took to the streets to protest what they said was decades of neglect of the Adair Drive gully. They warned that the uncleaned drain posed a serious flood risk.
“I have been living here for 30 years now and I can’t remember seeing this drain clean,” said Edward Brown, a long-time resident. “Right now, if we get the rains the way they say, we will be in deep problems—most of us will be flooded out.”
At the Hellshire Fishing Beach, high tides and strong winds had already begun to push water ashore. Businesses were shuttered and debris littered the coastline. A few zinc roofs were seen dislodged by gusty winds.
Patrick James, a small shop operator, acknowledged the deteriorating weather but said he was not alarmed.
“They saying that the storm was coming three days now and it can’t reach yet, so I am not worried,” James said, standing beside his five-year-old son.
Elsewhere, residents near Big Pond along the Bartons to Old Harbour main road expressed confidence that recent $21 million flood mitigation works would hold up against the storm.
- Ruddy Mathison
Follow The Gleaner on X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.