A day after Category 4 Hurricane Beryl battered Jamaica’s south coast with wind and rain, Portmore Mayor Leon Thomas said a preliminary assessment revealed minor damage across the ‘Sunshine City’. The municipal corporation was working to clear fallen trees that blocked several roads.

“From [Wednesday] night we’ve been clearing the roads, so the Hellshire main road is now reopened [and] the Dunbeholden main road is also open. The Greater Portmore roundabout is open also; we have cleared that area, and we are now in the Eight West community where we are clearing another huge blockage,” the mayor told Observer Online on Thursday.

There have been no reports of loss of life in Portmore or major flooding. However, there are reports of damaged roofs in Two West Greater Portmore.

Additionally, several power lines across the municipality are down, with some residents reportedly without electricity from 2:00 pm on Wednesday.

Observer Online saw that some streetlights and electricity poles were slightly tilted, with wires dangling, threatening to fall on nearby houses or roads.

Residents, armed with brooms and shovels, worked together to clear loose leaves that had fallen from trees within their communities.

National Solid Waste Management Authority garbage trucks were also operational, clearing garbage and debris.

Additionally, telecommunication service workers were restoring connections.

“In the Waterford community, there are crocodiles in the drain, and we are still doing some assessment there. Also, in the One North and Two North areas, we have some trees blocking the road, so we are clearing the roads to make sure that our residents can go about their business, and then we will remove them at a later date,” he said.

The newly opened Portmore Municipal Corporation building is still intact, said Mayor Thomas, who reported that only a tile was slightly damaged.

He also reported that people who live along the Hellshire and Port Henderson beaches, who refused to evacuate to shelters, are all accounted for and safe.

There are 16 shelters across the municipality, with reports that only seven people were in the shelters on Wednesday as the hurricane made its way to Jamaica.

The mayor said that by 9:00 am on Thursday, all shelters were closed, with those who had sought refuge returning to their homes.

“On the Hellshire beach there was some damage to the sheds, and by Port Henderson road we have [some] damage there also,” he said, adding that it was mostly minor.

“We’ll be doing some assessment and come up with some preliminary figures. The team is out there. As you can see, I am here as the mayor trying to get the roads clear. I am also here with the disaster coordinator as we assess,” he said.