Beryl barrels through Hellshire Beach, destroying facilities
Published:Friday | July 5, 2024 | 12:07 AMRuddy Mathison/Gleaner Writer
Hurricane Beryl left Portmore grappling with significant damage, particularly in Hellshire Beach and the surrounding areas.
The Category 4 system left a trail of destruction on Wednesday, with two houses in Greater Portmore extensively damaged and key structures at Hellshire Beach torn apart.
The gate and tower at Hellshire Beach, a popular destination for locals and tourists alike, were ripped apart by the ferocious winds.
The Fishermen’s Cooperative office – a vital hub for the local fishing community – suffered severe damage as its roof was blown off and landed in the mangroves behind the building. This disruption has created a major setback for the cooperative and the local fishermen who depend on its facilities.
Several vendors also had their shops ripped apart.
The Gleaner caught up with Stephen Malcolm, president of the Fishermen’s Cooperative, as he surveyed the damage on Thursday. While acknowledging the challenges ahead, he remained optimistic.
“It will take us three days to clean up the beach and make it safe for everyone,” he said. “In the meantime, we encourage patrons to still visit the beach and enjoy their favourite fried fish and festival. Our vendors are resilient, and they are ready to serve.”
He pointed out that rebuilding the office will be a major venture that will require support from the Portmore Municipal Corporation.
Fitz Jackson, member of parliament for St Catherine Southern, joined Portmore Mayor Leon Thomas and a technical team from the municipal corporation on a visit to the beach on Thursday. They offered support and coordinated immediate clean-up efforts to restore normalcy to the area.
“We are committed to helping our community recover from this disaster,” Jackson stated. “The damage here is significant, but with our combined efforts, we will rebuild and come back stronger. We have offered to provide the resources for the clean-up to begin.”
He said that other than some collapsed drain walls, there appeared to be no other significant damage in his constituency, but he and his team will do further assessments to determine the full extent of the damage.