Omar Anderson, Gleaner Writer
Winnifred Gayle, a 69-year-old resident of Port Royal who has experienced hurricanes Charley 1951,Gilbert 1988, Ivan 2004 and Dennis 2005, making her statement that she is definitely not leaving Port Royal. - RICARDO MAKYN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
WAVES CRASHED and mounted the sea shore, blocking the Palisadoes road, between the Harbour View roundabout and the Norman Manley International Airport roundabout yesterday, as Hurricane Emily passed south of the island.
A storm surge washed large chunks of mainly wood and stone unto the road, creating difficulties for motorists.
But even as Palisadoes Road, the only access to Port Royal, was becoming impassable, defiant residents insisted they would not be moved.
The residents said they would remain in their houses, even with leaking roofs, as they were unwilling to subject themselves to the 'poor' treatment they received at the National Arena during Hurricane Ivan last year.
Many of them said they would prefer to die where they were born than to be subjected again to the poor living standard to which many of them were not accustomed.
"We are not leaving because Hurricane Ivan caught a lot of people in a mess at the Arena," said Wendy Goldson, who told The Sunday Gleaner she had lived in the former seaport town for 35 years.
She pointed to the filthy bathrooms as well as the viral illnesses many residents from the community experienced after leaving the shelter.
"They gave one blind man some corned beef and rice and the rice was so soft the man asked if it was crushed Irish potato and corned beef," Ms. Goldson said. She added that, following the hurricane, some residents had to walk from the Arena to Port Royal while others walked to Kingston Mall to get a boat ride home.
Dressed in blue jeans shorts, a blouse and wind-breaker as the rain poured yesterday, Ms. Goldson said she survived Hurricanes Allen, Gilbert, Ivan, and Dennis.
"And a not going anywhere. A doan see why ah gwine run now," she said.
John Prawl has lived in Port Royal since he was born. He is 53. Like the others, he said he would not seek shelter elsewhere.
"Not even at Jubilee I was born, I born right here," he said as his eyes swelled with defiance. Reinforcing his resolve, he said brisk business was still being conducted in the community with cooked food selling for between $100 and $150.
"Every kitchen inna Port Royal a bubble wid some food - dumpling and steamed fish," Mr. Prawl stated.
STEELY RESILIENCE
With steely resilience, Georgia Carter ignored a call to evacuate the seaport community. Though she did not shelter at the National Arena last year, eerie stories from relatives and friends who did, still haunt her and serve as a deterrent.
"Too many people had to be using one toilet," she said. "People who went there said the food didn't taste good."
Last Tuesday, Prime Minister P.J. Patterson announced in Parliament that the Government was seeking to enact legislation to allow the forced removal of persons from disaster-prone areas.
His comments followed the large-scale dislocations created by Hurricane Dennis just over a week ago in sections of Kingston, St. Andrew, Portland, and other areas islandwide.
