Gareth Davis, Gleaner Writer
Portland:
RESIDENTS IN Portland started to feel the effects of Hurricane Emily from as early as 5:30 a.m. yesterday as gusty winds and heavy rainfall pounded the parish.
In the Rio Grande Valley which includes the communities of Berrydale and Grants Level, residents who were still reeling from the effects of Hurricane Dennis made urgent plans to evacuate from as early as Friday. And as the rains continued unabated yesterday, many Portlanders expressed genuine fear that the Rio Grande might once again flood its banks. Last week, flood waters caused by the passage of Hurricane Dennis ravaged several homes and destroyed over 70 acres of bananas and other farm produce.
NOT ANOTHER DAY
" I am not going to spend an extra day here," said Margarette Henry, a resident at Berrydale and a mother of five children. "My furniture was badly damaged after the river flooded its banks and we was lucky to escape with our lives."
Many residents shared similar sentiments and remained adamant that evacuation was the only option for them.
So far, all 75 designated
disaster shelters have been opened throughout the parish, and up until 11:35 a.m. yesterday, more than 140 persons were reportedly occupying 15 shelters.
The Portland Parish Council also indicated that during the passage of Hurricane Dennis last week, more than 400 persons occupied disaster shelters. That figure may very well be doubled as residents are more aware of the threats posed by hurricanes.
EMERGENCY FORCES READY
The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) indicated that all emergency teams including the police, the fire department, the local Ministry of Health and personnel from the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPSCo) had been put on high alert to carry out evacuations.
Meanwhile, concerns were raised by residents about the state of the Rio Grande bridge in St. Margaret's Bay. The residents said the bridge posed a serious threat to the railway bridge which has been earmarked to undergo repairs to facilitate vehicular traffic.
The loss of the Rio Grande bridge also triggered a fuel crisis in Port Antonio and its environs as several service stations ran out of petrol. Several motorists were forced to park their vehicles due to the unavailability of petrol for over four days.
