ST ANN residents began preparing for the expected onslaught of Hurricane Dean last Friday afternoon after it became increasingly clear that the storm was likely to affect Jamaica today.

Regular Friday shoppers lengthened their shopping list to include emergency items such as tin foods, candles, matches and batteries, causing a rush on some supermarkets.

Yesterday, several stores opened earlier than usual to accommodate early morning shoppers, while some business places closed for the day, allowing their workers time to prepare for the hurricane.

Mayor of St Ann’s Bay, Delroy Giscombe said there were no major concerns as far as the parish council was concerned.

“The drains are clean, we did an extensive cleaning up two months ago as the minister [of Local Government, Dean Peart) had allocated funds,” Giscombe said.

In addition, he said the National Works Agency (NWA) had cleaned the major drain in the town yesterday.

When the Sunday Observer visited the town, workmen from M&M Modern Sewer and Drain Service, employed by the NWA, were cleaning the drains.

Giscombe also said that the council had met with relevant agencies including the police last Friday to finalise arrangements for shelters, as alternative to some schools that were used previously.

When these arrangements have been finalised, a town crier and the electronic media would broadcast the locations of these shelters, he said.

In St Mary, residents of Port Maria – with the flooding of their town less than a year ago still fresh in their minds – expressed fear of another flood.

The situation regarding the bridge, which residents claim was too low and as such caused the flooding, is still to be rectified.

A resident of San San in the parish, who was among mid-morning shoppers in Port Maria, stocking up on emergency supplies, told the Sunday Observer that she was concerned about the possibility of more flooding.

“We expect more rain because it’s a hurricane, so you can just imagine what will happen,” she said.

Mayor of Port Maria, Robert Montague, also expressed concerns.

“We are very, very worried that the town will be flooded again but there is nothing we can do,” he said.

Despite this, the mayor said the parish was ready in the event the hurricane strikes, although there were still some hiccups.

“We are ready; we are as prepared as we possibly can,” Montague said. In a meeting last Friday, concerns were expressed about some areas of the parish as it relates to the possibility of flooding, and a follow-up meeting was set for 2:00 pm yesterday to finalise all arrangements and to decide when to open the emergency centres.