ST ANN, Jamaica – As Hurricane Melissa bears down on the island, craft vendors and fishermen at White River in St Ann were observed on Sunday afternoon, peaceful but still preparing.

“Mi ago lose a lot of fish pot, mi ago lose a lot of things, but mi just brace fi it you understand? Mi a try my best fi mi life nuh gone,” said Harold Bloomfield, a local fisherman, as he cut and cleaned a marlin around 2:00 pm.

The veteran fisherman expressed grave concern about the possibility of the hurricane

“We can’t stop God’s work, mi just feel it ago lick we a way, mash we up a way, but wi haffi try stand up strong,” Bloomfield said.

He was among several men and women who had gathered amid grey skies and rain. Fishermen were in the process of pulling in their boats as the country finalises preparations for the hurricane.

Dennis Gordon, a vendor at the Ocho Rios Craft Market, said his preparations included removing his goods and securing them under tarpaulins. The vendor expressed trepidation at the potential impact of Melissa.

“When it pass, the place lock down, no tourists, no business. We [will] take a good while to come back on our feet,” he said, referencing past experiences.

“We go through Gilbert and it was very, very, bad; out of food, out of water, out of light. I can only hope it don’t reach back to this because it’s coming serious.”

Meteorologists are warning that Hurricane Melissa, which is projected to make landfall, could bring catastrophic flooding with the possibility of landslides to the country.

(Video: Contractor Tourism Marketing)