ALLIGATOR POND, Manchester — Just over a year after their businesses and homes were ravaged by Hurricane Beryl, fisherfolk and residents here say they are not taking any chances with Hurricane Melissa which, up to late afternoon Sunday, was forecast to make landfall in the vicinity of that fishing village on Jamaica’s south coast.

Evrol Christian, owner of Little Ochie Seafood Restaurant which was battered by Hurricane Beryl last year, and Councillor Omar Robinson (People’s National Party, Alligator Pond Division) told the Jamaica Observer that preparations have been made to secure properties in Alligator Pond and also to evacuate the coastal area.

“We in Alligator Pond, we start to get high tide which is very unusual and we were getting showers, not a large amount of rain [as yet],” Christian said on Sunday via telephone.

“We are preparing ourselves. We are not going to step aside like [with] Beryl like say it would just come and go like that. Based on what we hear so far it is going to be a big one, so we are tying down all the zinc that we can tie down. Take off what we can take off and put aside,” Christian said.

“It is the first I ever see the fishermen take it so seriously, because the boats almost push right to the housing scheme,” he added in reference to the efforts made to get fishing boats as far inland as possible.

Councillor Robinson said even as fisherfolk move to secure their vessels he is encouraging residents to evacuate the area.

“I visited the seashore this morning [Sunday], the waves are climbing higher as I speak. When I reached out to the parish disaster manager Mr [Keval] Lewis he mentioned the Alligator Pond is now under an evacuation order and the same was confirmed by the [police] that we should start making preparations to evacuate the area knowing that Hurricane Melissa is now at Category Four and it will make landfall on the coast road end of Alligator Pond,” he said.

“I am here preaching evacuation. Let me hope that the residents will buy into it. The shelter is ready at New Forest High School and before next hour, I should be doing some work to clear the swamp, it is at capacity. We are heading to that area to clear the swamp, so that the water can run out,” he added.

“I am imploring all the residents in the Alligator Pond space to adhere to the orders of evacuation and keep as safe as possible as we brace for the possible impact of Category Four Melissa,” he said.

“I was in a discussion with a fisherman this morning while he was pushing up his boat — because they are in the final stage of their preparations. Most of the boats are inland and during a discussion he was saying he is in his 30s and it is the first time he has taken a hurricane this serious. He is strapping down his roof with rope, the battening down activities have been completed and he is now worried about the devastation that might occur,” he said.

“Most people are really worried about the possible impact and we are hoping for the best,” he added.

Hurricane Melissa was cutting a deadly path through the Caribbean on Sunday, strengthening into a Category Four hurricane as it crawled along a worryingly slow course toward Jamaica and the island of Hispaniola.

Melissa has already been blamed for three deaths in Haiti, as its outer bands brought heavy rains and landslides to the impoverished nation.

CHRISTIAN… it is the first I ever see the fishermen take it so serious

ROBINSON… we should start making preparations to evacuate the area knowing that Hurricane Melissa is now at Category Four