Leonardo Blair, Staff Reporter
Residents of Portland Cottage, south Clarendon at the St. Philomena Basic School which is one of the prescribed shelters in that community. - RICARDO MAKYN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
THERE WERE some who flocked two shelters in the Portland Cottage Community in Clarendon but many others watched and waited to see if Hurricane Emily could muster up more than the drizzle which began in the community early yesterday morning. But it didn't.
And that was a good thing, according to Sheree Douglas, the shelter manager at the St. Philomeno Basic School, "We don't have any food or anything and I will definitely have to buy out of my pocket." At that time, there were over 60 persons already being housed in the basic school and others were slowly streaming in.
Some who came reluctantly, like 25-year-old *Lorna Blake was upset that she had to go to the shelter. "Mi feel bad 'bout the shelter. In there look so chaka-chaka. You nuh see no rich people a come inna shelter." The shelter manager was also worried about accommodation at the time as the pastor of the adjoining church on the compound, refused to allow flood victims to use the church as a shelter.
"They don't want us to use the church and the breeze blowing in the water on one side already," said the shelter manager.
In the meantime, most residents in the community were busy in social gatherings, laughing and talking while 'Emily' quickly passed the already flood, ravaged community without incident.
* Name changed on request.
