Small business owners in sections of St James severely impacted by Hurricane Melissa are appealing for government support to restore their livelihoods.

For Andre Hall, both his barbershop and cook shop in Tucker district suffered severe damage during the storm.

“All of the stuff them wash right out – four barber chair, the entire counter area, because we do barbering, hairdressing, and rental too. All the roof gone, just a few pieces deh back,” said Hall, as he surveyed what remained of his barbershop.

“A multiple levels me get damage, so me just a try help me self. A the first me see something like this,” he continued.

He told Observer Online that the few scraps of building materials he managed to recover after the storm were later stolen.

“We can barely pick up the pieces because the people them a move different. The stuff them weh me get together, them move them out already. So what me recover from the process of my devastation, them still come take it,” Hall explained.

The shop, which was located on the edge of a river, was severely flooded after the Category 5 hurricane-force wind pushed debris inside the wooden structure. Several other shops along the stretch were also affected.

According to Hall, improper disposal of waste contributed to the river overflowing its banks, and he is now taking steps to educate community members about better waste management.

“We a try encourage people fi stop the dumping because it a go be a big thing. We not seeing it until it really come down, and when it really come down, it help inna this,” he explained.

Hall is appealing for help in the form of building materials to rebuild his business.

“We need some cement, some 2×4, plywood. We just a try solidify the structure again,” he said.

O’Brien Sterling, operator of O’Brien and Sons Ja Tours in Montego Bay at the office of his car, Where Dirty Meets Clean, in Catherine Hall, St James where he suffered severe flooding after Hurricane Melissa. (Photo: Naphtali Junior)

In Catherine Hall, another small business owner, O’brien Sterling, is counting his losses after Hurricane Melissa tore through the compound which housed several businesses including a car wash, garage, and cook shop.

Sterling, owner of Where Dirty Meets Clean car wash, said the storm ripped off the roof of his establishment, while floodwaters swept through the compound, damaging vital equipment such as power wash machines, vacuum cleaners, chairs, and computers.

“A beg we a beg because money tight. We just start and all the money pour in already. So right now, we just a try do what we can do. That mean me no sit down and stress, because if we just sit down and look, nothing nah go done. So if we can move some dirt and rise the area, we affi do that, because when rain fall, everything flood,” Sterling said.

On the same compound, Juici Jerk Restaurant co-owner Nick is also struggling to recover after the storm left his small eatery caked in mud and debris.

“In there flood out because the river come over inna Catherine Hall. All the things that did move up, like the stools, the place did full of mud and thing. The place turn upside down it come up to almost the sink height. We just affi a do some little cleaning. The roof affi go fix too, cause a little part over the corner lift up, so basically all of that have to do over,” he told Observer Online.

He said he and his team are now trying to source materials to repair the damaged roof in hopes of reopening soon, but the lack of electricity and running water has made recovery even more difficult.

“It’s a big impact because we no have no light. Hopefully one of the water trucks can come over, because one tank is still there, nothing no do it, and them can put water inna the tank. But no light. We probably have to get a generator which ago cost we a hundred and odd thousand, and the roof a bout close to that deh price too, based on what me a hear. So it hard,” he said.

Nick is appealing for help so small business operators in Catherine Hall can rebuild.

“Hopefully the Government can give us some money to help with the damage because we are a small business and this hit us hard,” he added.

Gavin Beckford, owner of K&N Auto in St James, examines the damage to a car engine and diagnostic computer after Hurricane Melissa washed out his business. (Photo: Naphtali Junior)

Meanwhile, Gavin Beckford, owner of K&N Auto, said his business was also severely affected by Hurricane Melissa as floodwaters washed out everything on the property. He and his workers have been cleaning mud and debris from the property and have started repairs to the roof in an effort to restore operations.

“Everything washed out. We just have to clean up and start over. You can’t sit and wait, you have to get up and do something,” said Beckford.

Across the road from Beckford, Monica McIntosh, who operates DoDo’s Ply Rental with her brother, said her business suffered major losses during the storm.

“When they built the road, they took off part of our building. So now everything down here wash away,” she explained.

Monica McIntosh at DoDo’s Ply Rental in Catherine Hall, which suffered major losses during Hurricane Melissa (Photo: Naphtali Junior)

According to Mclntosh, floodwaters washed away sand, plywood, and other construction materials stored on the property.

McIntosh said the business, which has been running for more than 11 years, was thriving before the storm, but things have gotten slow since the passage of Hurricane Melissa.

“You don’t see nobody come. Everything slow, slow,” McIntosh told Observer Online, describing how business has fallen off since the hurricane.

“The water come like a river, everything tear off and flood out,” she added, noting that they have not received any help since the hurricane.

“It rough, but we still have to try get back up. We can’t just leave it so.”