Residents of Pedro keeping the faith

PEDRO, St Ann:

Down on their luck, the residents of Pedro in St Ann, just off the Clarendon border, are unable to make any definite preparations for Tropical Storm Tomas which is heading in the general direction of Jamaica.

Having had to endure a flooded community for several weeks, using a boat to cross an inundated roadway to access the wider community, residents seem hardly up to the task of preparing for a hurricane at this time.

The water from the river has receded to some extent and life is slowly returning to normal.

One resident, Danieca Bartley, reflected the general views of the residents of the Pedro when she told The Gleaner yesterday that she had not started any preparation.

"No, I'm not prepared yet; hopefully tomorrow (Wednesday)." Her preparation is to, maybe, stock up on some food items.

Partial preparation

But to some extent, Bartley was partially prepared. She explained that straps to batten down her house during Hurricane Ivan's onslaught in September 2004 were still in place.

But according to her: "Nobody is really doing anything. Some might be going to the supermarket but nobody's battening down."

She was hopeful that Jamaica would be spared the full brunt of the storm.

Sixty-four-year-old Liston Smith, who told The Gleaner in October that he lost all his crops as a result of Tropical Storm Nicole, said he is yet to make preparations.

"If it come, all wi haffi duh is tie dung wi house. But mi have faith seh it naw come," Smith said.

Smith said he was yet to get a visit from authorities regarding his losses in his field or any other area.

"Everybody still on di low, nobody nuh come, so it nuh mek sense!"

- Carl Gilchrist