By Andre Jebbinson and Teino Evans, Staff Reporters

There are some that feel Hurricane Dean took a less destructive path than Hurricane Ivan, but Leroy Telfer is not one such person. He lost his entire crop during the storm.

"Everything mi have gone. Everything flat out, nuh good again," Telfer said. "After Ivan, mi did have more fi sell."

The plantain and banana farmer from Eden Hill, St. Mary, said the hurricane destroyed his entire field which he estimated at $30,000. With the income from his banana farm being his only source of income, he is now left penniless and disheartened about the future. Telfer has 18 children, six of whom he still provides for in addition to grandchildren.

Since his situation is worse this time around, he is hoping he will not be overlooked by relief efforts again when they come around, as he said he received nothing three years ago when Ivan struck.

"Dem tek politics and mash up friendship when it come on to anything. When people dem a pass through after Ivan, nobody nuh send dem roun where me deh," Telfer recalled.

Telfer, who also recently fractured his leg in a minor accident while riding on his motorcycle, might have more to contemplate now, but in the meantime, he was busy, like other residents in his little district, assessing damaged properties.

For the most part, there was not major damage in several of the communities in that parish nor in St. Ann. While several trees had been mowed over, it was clear that it was the parishes on the south coast that had been hit the hardest. The numerous road repairs taking place were untouched and several residents seemed unmoved by Hurricane Dean.

"We don't have any major damage in this area and the river didn't overflow either," said Claude McKella, a resident of the neighbouring Jacks River community. "When di breeze a blow, wi coulda still walk round di place."

Over at the Port Maria Police Station where officers worked under the dim light of kerosene lamps and candles, Sergeant Gray said, based on his own observations, damage to property was at a minimal and there were no significant incidents to be reported.