Sajoune Rose, Gleaner Writer

Though things weren't looking bright for the Sunshine City yesterday, residents of flood-prone areas of Portmore, St. Catherine, resisted desperate pleas to evacuate and move to the designated shelters yesterday.

While massive preparations took place islandwide ahead of Hurricane Dean, three willing residents of Portmore who heeded the warnings to evacuate turned up at one centre to be greeted with a large empty room.

"I opened this centre from 7:30 this morning and now 1:00 and up until nothing is here," said Trevor Gayle, centre manager. He also bemoaned the lack of readiness by emergency officials at the centre.

Mayor of Portmore, George Lee, defended the staggered strategy, arguing that emergency accommodation measures would b to the evacuee turnout.

Gayle, however, countered the mayor's claim.

"If you don't protect the little one, how are you going to deal with the masses?" he asked.

Protecting belongings

On a visit to the Rae Town seaside village, fisherfolk and vendors remained rooted in their one-room dwellings. They refused to evacuate the fishing area, preferring to protect their belongings.

George Henry, a resident fish vendor there for 20 years, said he was forced to safeguard his property.

"We can't abandon everything altogether. Someone has to give some form of oversight," he said. However, he added that his home, which is located at 14 Fisheries Road in Kingston, is not really safe either, despite surviving hurricanes Gilbert and Ivan.

"That house pass through two hurricanes with whole heap a leakings and neither the State nor fishery do nutten fi help me still," he said.

Mayor Lee, however, repeated the plea for a law to be enacted to ensure mandatory evacuation out of flood-prone areas like Portmore.

After the passage of Hurricane Ivan in September 2004, the Government indicated its intention to implement a mandatory evacuation order for certain communities with the approach of a storm or hurricane.