Photo by Noel Thompson
The Port Maria Police Station being cleaned up yesterday following an entire day of rain during the passage of Tropical Storm Gustav on Friday, causing the Outram River to overflow its banks, leaving a large quantity of sludge along roadways and inside several buildings.

Noel Thompson, Sunday Gleaner Writer

Western Bureau:

PORT MARIA, the capital of St Mary, was transformed into a mud lake yesterday, the day after Tropical Storm Gustav unleashed forceful winds and heavy rains on the parish.

More than 70 businesses along the major commercial thoroughfares were severely affected and could not transact business for the second consecutive day, incurring an estimated loss in revenue of more than $100 million in sales and downtime.

One business reported loss of over $500,000 between Friday and mid-morning yesterday.

The only business transactions that took place in the town centre yesterday were conducted by dry-goods vendors who huddled along the murky sidewalks, while they and buyers played hop-scotch among huge puddles of mud.

'Devastation'

All other businesses were undertaking massive clean-up operations, washing piles of mud and garbage out of their shops, with assistance from the St Mary Fire Department. Up to 10:30 yesterday morning, the department said it had received more than 20 calls from business places to assist with the clean-up operations.

"This is devastation," is how businessman Anthony Scott described the situation.

Stephen Chung, a seasoned businessman, agreed.

Scott and Chung, both past presidents of the St Mary Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as well as other residents and business operators, are blaming the National Works Agency (NWA) for failing to upgrade the Outram riverbank (better known as the Port Maria River) ahead of the storm, despite several warnings and appeals from the business community.

"The flooding is a man-made problem, which comes as a result of the NWA lowering the riverbank and not repairing it by raising the bank with 'guymon' basket," said Chung "They need to build a bank about 30 feet long and six feet high, and that should alleviate flooding."

No communications

Up to late afternoon, Port Maria was without electricity and all three cellular service providers were down, as well as land lines, in most parts of the town. The fire department had no telephone service.

The Port Maria Police Station was also flooded, while the Island Special Constabulary Force station was inundated with mud, barricading officers inside the building.

Commander Noel Green told The Sunday Gleaner that the station was inaccessible.

The St Ann's Bay Fire Department was also drafted to assist with the clean-up activities.

It is believed, however, that it could take several days before the town is free of all the mud and filth.