Sat Oct 15, 2005
MoBay residents flooded out
Scores of residents in Montego Bay, St. James were flooded out of their homes as torrential rains hit the parish Friday night.
Many business operators have also incurred major losses, while others are trying to clean up as a deluge again threatens.
Fish vendors at the Byron Leslie complex lost most of their fish valued at nearly $100,000 as the North Gully overflowed its banks and flood waters went into the containers and refrigerators at the facility.
When our reporter visited the area Saturday morning residents were visibly distraught, some were asking for quick assistance from the authorities.
However the disaster preparedness coordinator up to late Saturday morning was unaware of the situation.
Keisha Reid, who operates a hairdressing shop and a bar, lost all her belongings.
Other residents, including Ivan Burnett and Sharon Bell, are now homeless.
Saturday morning they recovered some of their personal documents on the compound of the courthouse, which is also flooded.
In the meantime, some residents are helping to clear a section of William Street which is covered in mud, while other areas flooded include the Union and St. James Street intersection, and Bogue in the vicinity of the Village.
The very dangerous Sipple Gut River has again overflowed its banks causing flooding in Somerton and Moore Park while a section of the Content road has collapsed.
In the meantime, motorists are being advised to avoid using the Bog Walk Gorge in St. Catherine.
The Gorge has been closed due to rising water.
Motorists should instead use the alternative routes through Barry and Sligoville, until further notice.
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