Dionne Rose,
Staff Reporter
The entire community of Portland Cottage in Clarendon was up to yesterday inundated with water from heavy rains associated with Hurricane Dennis.
More than 200 residents from that community were forced into shelters as early as Wednesday as the hurricane approached the island.
But while the island was spared the full force of the hurricane, several houses in the community were again flooded out, mirroring last September's incident when heavy rains and winds from Hurricane Ivan lashed the country. Then, Portland Cottage was among the hardest hit communities in the entire island.
When The Gleaner visited the community yesterday, the streets had more than four inches of water and resembled a river course. Many houses were left wide open and empty as if residents had made a hasty retreat.
seek refuge
The residents had sought refuge at three designated shelters the Portland Cottage Community Centre, the Catholic Church and the primary school.
At the community centre, 62 residents had sought shelter there. Inez Williams, one of the residents at the centre said that although they had received mattresses, no food was provided.
"Yesterday we received 10 mattresses from the Ministry of Labour and 10 blankets and two tarpaulins," she said.
"It was not enough because people still had to struggle last night, we need more so that they can get a better and more comfortable area," she said.
Last year, hundreds of homes were ripped apart and trees and utility poles uprooted as fierce winds and powerful storm surges brought by Hurricane Ivan pummelled the island on September 10 and 11.
eight killed
Eight persons, including three children were killed in Portland Cottage alone last year during Hurricane Ivan. Yesterday, residents were happy to report that there were no causalities from Hurricane Dennis.
But they expressed sadness that once again the hurricane season was upon them again and they were still in the same situation.
Prime Minister P.J. Patterson had declared the area a disaster zone and ordered that no reconstruction should be allowed in the community.
He then established the Office of National Reconstruction (ONR) to co-ordinate the reconstruction effort including relocation of residents in that community. But houses for the relocation of the residents are not yet completed.
In a previous interview with The Gleaner, Danville Walker, chief executive officer of ONR had said that the houses would be ready in September.
Bradley Finzi-Smith, executive director of the Food For the Poor, had said that the residents would have received interim houses within two months from a project being spearheaded by the charity organisation in tandem with the ONR.
