Rocky Point storm damages boats, shops and homes in Clarendon

Fishermen, householders and small business owners in Rocky Point, Clarendon, are assessing major damage after a sudden storm hit the coastal community shortly after 10 p.m. Saturday, bringing powerful winds and waves said to be more than six feet high.

The weather system struck in mid-June, during the hurricane season, but residents said the destruction was not caused by a hurricane. Boats were damaged, shops were pulled apart and some homes were flooded as the sea pushed into sections of the seaside settlement.

Several residents described the event as unusual even for a community accustomed to rough weather. One man said he had not seen the sea behave that way since the 1986 flood, saying the water appeared to reclaim land that had long been used by residents. Others said they had never experienced anything similar.

The damage comes only eight months after residents sought government assistance following Hurricane Melissa. One woman, identifying herself as a single mother, appealed directly for help from Prime Minister Andrew Holness and Pernel, saying her boat engine had been destroyed. She said replacing it would cost about $750,000, money she could not afford.

Another resident said the shoreline needs urgent protection, suggesting that even one load of stone could help hold back the sea and save what remains of the beach.

By the following day, some residents had already started clearing debris and trying to recover what they could. People were seen removing buckets of sand from damaged boats and attempting to repair boat shops. With about four months left in the hurricane season, many in Rocky Point are worried about what more severe weather could bring.