Photo by Noel Thompson
A group of men combine their strength to assist the driver of a vehicle in getting out of a ditch along the Fern Gully main road in St Ann, yesterday. Several sections of the Fern Gully road were badly damaged during the rains, which lashed St Ann between Thursday and yesterday.

Western Bureau:

In St Ann, several power lines were down and there were reports of some houses being flooded. According to Alvin Clarke, disaster coordinator for St Ann, "Up to this point, there is only one report of a section of a roof being damaged."

Clarke confirmed too that a total of 115 persons sought refuge at the parish's 40 emergency shelters between Thursday and yesterday.

Lovelita Wilson, of Backsfield in St Ann, said her house had been flooded out and she had to seek refuge at the Ocho Rios High School.

Several sections of the Fern Gully main road have also been badly damaged and now require urgent attention. Residents were furious and blamed the National Works Agency (NWA) for failing to take the necessary steps in repairing the roadway, following severe flood damage that occurred in Ocho Rios earlier this year.

Meanwhile, Inspector Howard Simmonds, the subofficer in charge of the Ocho Rios Police Station, said a power line was down in the vicinity of the White River and Exchange main roads. He said there were no reports of any looting or break-ins in the Ocho Rios area.