A car drives on the Kintyre bridge before the passage of Tropical Storm Sandy. - Ricardo Makyn

As Tropical Storm Sandy edged closer to the island yesterday, residents of Kintyre, St Andrew, were fearful that the expected heavy rains would have led to the typical collapse of the main bridge leading in and out of the area.

Several residents who spoke to THE STAR said that they were making the necessary preparations and were praying that the storm would pass quickly.

If there was a collapse of the bridge, the residents said the only other way out of the community is by way of a footpath.

Kevin Card, a resident of Housing Drive, told THE STAR, "I don't really have a lot of preparations because I live in a concrete structure and I don't live near the river bank like some people. Some persons live near the bridge and it is always breaking away. Mi nuh do nuh major shopping, but mi just buy up a few tin foods and check mi window dem. Right now, mi a pray dat di worst will pass because once there is a storm, there is normally no light and water and di bridge ago collapse," Card said.

Watching the storm

Another resident added that, "the persons who normally drive, they park their motor vehicles way out on the main road. Some persons even park by the Papine Police Station or by dem friends. Right now, you still have a few taxi dem a operate, and mi nuh see nobody a move out of dem house yet. Most people just a watch the progress of the storm. Some persons will eventually seek shelter at the Kintyre New Testament Church, or they will go by the community centre," said a man who identified himself as Pancho.

Bevral Tyndale, a welder from the community, said that his home is already prepared with the necessary food items in the event of the storm.

"You know a jungle style, likkle bread, water, and fry banana, but mi nuh do nuh major shopping because you know how the money ting go already, and is not pay day yet. Right now, mi a brace mi self because the bridge is the community's biggest problem," Tyndale said.

Yesterday, Member of Parliament for East Rural St Andrew, Damion Crawford, advised constituents living along the Hope River bank in the Kintyre division to prepare for evacuation by 3 p.m.

"With the volume of water expected, it is possible for Hope River to overflow its banks. I am therefore appealing to the residents to pack and be ready to leave by 3 p.m. (yesterday)," said Crawford.

This warning, the release said, is as a result of Tropical Storm Sandy, which will begin to move across Jamaica from south to north today.

A resident of the Kintyre community walks along the swing bridge in the community. - Ricardo Makyn

Residents watch as flood waters engulfed the bridge in 2010. - Norman Grindley