MONTEGO BAY, St James — Heavy rains and gusty winds brought on by a cold front on Tuesday left some of Montego Bay’s most popular waterfront spots inundated. It also resulted in early closure of the Trelawny court, and gave rise to concerns about the collapse of a section of Negril’s West End road.

The weather system, which began affecting the north-western end of the country on Monday, is expected to clear up by Thursday.

In Montego Bay, the popular Pier One restaurant and bar on Howard Cooke Boulevard was among businesses affected. Massive waves, some higher than the building, crashed ashore and pushed water inside the deck-style property perched beside what are usually tranquil blue waters. When the
Jamaica Observer spoke with General Manager Jason Russell he was waiting for the weather to clear up to get a better idea of the damage. Like other enterprises, Pier One did not appear to have taken a big hit, and Russell stressed that being impacted by the weather is par for the course when you are located on the waterfront.

“Nobody got hurt, and we just have to prepare now to fix back and open as quickly as possible because people have to get back to work. MoBay needs their Pier One,” he said stoically.

“We have a place on the ocean [so] it won’t always be sunny and calm; you are going to have bad weather. You just have to pay the price. We are used to it,” he added.

Russell said they managed to secure electrical appliances but “a lot of the furniture and stuff have been left out in the elements”.

Sections of Jimmy Cliff Boulevard, popularly known as the hip strip, also got a battering from huge waves, and popular watering hole Margaritaville shuttered its doors.

Several visitors to the island took the opportunity to enjoy the display of nature’s strength. Armed with cellphones, some sought to capture images of the waves as they pummelled the coastline, sending seawater high in the air.

“This is amazing,” said one visitor as he got himself drenched from head to toe with water that crashed over the rocks.

At Doctor’s Cave Beach the gates were locked, with caution tape placed at the entrance to the beach signalling that no swimming would be permitted. This has been the directive from meteorologists who have, for the past few days, been issuing advisories about the weather system.

It appears that Harbour Circle, where Pier One is located, was the hardest hit by the waves. A car wash and bar were completely under water at one point on Tuesday and several parked vehicles were inundated.

“Most of the well-established businesses are on the seafront — not just Pier One, but Margaritaville, 27/27, Doctor’s Cave Beach, I think even Yacht Club — so we just have to all work at it and get back up on our feet as fast as possible,” Russell said.

“However, we have health and strength, man make it and so we can build it back,” he added.

On Negril’s West End road a retaining wall gave way on Monday, causing rough sea water to gush onto the road, leaving a visible trail of debris in its wake. On Tuesday some business operators shuttered their doors, disrupting the livelihood of individuals who earn from the tourist town.

That same afternoon the Court Administration Division sent out a media release to say it had been forced to halt operations in Trelawny because a “combination of heavy rain and the presence of a live electrical wire poses a significant risk to everyone on the premises”.

“As a precautionary measure, we must close the court immediately to mitigate any potential hazards. Furthermore, we want to assure you that a report has been made to the Jamaica Public Service regarding the live electrical wire, and they have indicated that they will address the matter. We are working closely with them to resolve the issue as quickly as possible,” said the release.

Normal operations are expected to resume at the court at 10:00 am on Wednesday.