Hubert Henry of Great Pond, St Ann, shovels dirt and gravel along Fern Gully in St Ann yesterday. Henry said he did not want any flooding to occur as a result of debris piling up, so he took the initiative as a concerned citizen to start cleaning up early. - Photo by Noel Thompson

WESTERN BUREAU:

It was business as usual in the resort town of Ocho Rios, St Ann, yesterday, as businesses opened their doors and people milled about.

This, in spite of intermittent rainfall, as the country remains on alert for Hurricane Gustav. At least six emergency shelters were opened in the Ocho Rios area alone yesterday and should remain open in the event it becomes necessary for them to be utilised.

These include Eltham and Lodge community centres, Exchange All-Age School, Ocho Rios and Pim-ento Walk primary schools, Ocho Rios High and Breadnut Nut Hill Primary School.

On standby

Subofficer in charge of the Ocho Rios Police Station, Inspector Howard Simmonds, told The Gleaner that measures have been implemented to deal with any eventualities during the hurricane.

"We have personnel on standby since Wednesday night. We have also ensured that the station's standby generator is in working order," he stated.

Amid the heavy rains that doused the parish Wednesday night, Simmonds said there was no looting reported in Ocho Rios, adding that the police would be seeking to ensure that none occurred.

"We are sending a clear message to looters and wrongdoers that the police will be out there and if they choose to be out there as well somebody will have to leave, but it will not be the police," he warned.

Simmonds said firefighters had been busy flushing drains along a number of streets in and around the town, while the police were monitoring traffic primarily along Main Street. Insp. Simmonds noted that the Ocho Rios Marine Police have also made preparations to remove boats and other small vessels from the sea into harbour.

In the Fern Gully area, all craft traders had locked shop, except three. Spokesman for the group, Byron Sinclair said in spite his business being flooded during previous hurricanes, he was prepared to brave the weather to make sales.