Old Harbour Bay residents prepared to move

Residents of Old Harbour Bay in St Catherine said yesterday they were ready to move to designated shelters as soon as the alarm is sounded.

The residents told The Gleaner that they were monitoring reports about Hurricane Matthew.

Joylette Davis said that based on her experience, conditions can get bad really fast because of the low-lying nature of the area and its proximity to the sea.

"I have already secured all important documents for myself and my children, and we are ready to move to the shelter when the alarm is sounded," she told The Gleaner.

'Jungle', who operates a cookshop on the fishing beach, was giving away fish soup he had prepared for sale in order to get away from the beach yesterday.

"I am very concerned about the fishing business and the hit it will take if the storm hits Jamaica," he said.

"A lot of fishermen will not be able to go out to sea until the weather breaks."

Lindsay Chisholm, a fish vendor who buys and sells at the fishing beach, was equally concerned about his trade.

"We will not get any fish to sell for a while. This means that business will take a beating," he said.

Meanwhile, Councillor Peter Davis was seen yesterday doing last-minute drain cleaning. He told The Gleaner that he was concentrating on drains that could cause serious flooding if left unattended.

"I am cleaning four drains in the area that I know from past experiences have contributed to flooding in the Bay area. Even with this last-minute approach, I think cleaning these drains will go a far way in preventing severe flooding," he disclosed.