Portland Cottage on edge as Hurricane Melissa looms

Residents of Portland Cottage in Clarendon - a small fishing community - are on edge as Hurricane Melissa looms. They say fear has again gripped the area, as memories of the devastation caused by Hurricane Ivan in September 2004 come flooding back.

At least six residents of the seaside community were killed, and some 200 homes destroyed following the wrath of Hurricane Ivan, a Category 4 hurricane.

President of the Portland Cottage Citizens’ Association, Authnel Reid, told The Gleaner that one of the community’s greatest concerns today is the state of the Jackson Bay Beach. He explained that much of the sand had been washed away into a nearby swamp, drastically altering the coastline and causing the beach to encroach further inland.

"The amount of sand the beach has deposited into the swamp, if this hurricane hits us badly, I'm afraid the beach will be on the roadside."

The authorities have warned persons living in flood prone areas to leave immediately, noting that there will be significant storm surges and rainfall for about five days.

According to the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), Jackson Bay Beach is located south of Portland Cottage and southwest of Rocky Point, and is surrounded by swampy marshlands.

The beach stretches for over 350 metres (1,500 feet) with a width of approximately 12 metres (40 feet). The usable area of the beach is approximately 5,600 square metres or 1.4 acres.

Portland Cottage and the neighbouring Rocky Point community in southeastern Clarendon are classified by the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management as highly vulnerable due to their proximity to the sea.

Reid said residents are fearful that with the coastline already weakened, another major hurricane could again bring catastrophic flooding.

"Some waves I see at the beach now, in all my years, I've never seen any waves like that there, so it is worrying," Reid said added.

He said he had long been lobbying for protective measures to be put in place along the shoreline, such as the installation of large stones or boulders to help reduce coastal erosion and storm surge impact, similar to what has been done at water bodies near the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston.

The citizens’ association said whle residents brace for the impact of the hurricane, community members are actively engaged in mitigation efforts, adding, "People are on high alert and abreast on what to do. The shelter at the Portland Cottage Primary School is ready, and we're just waiting on instructions to activate it."

After Hurricane Ivan struck in 2004, then Prime Minister PJ Patterson designated the area a disaster zone and issued a directive prohibiting any reconstruction.

-Olivia Brown

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