Residents of Portland Cottage and Rocky Point in Clarendon say in the midst of Tropical Storm Sandy, hoping for the best is the most they can do.

When THE STAR visited the two fishing communities yesterday, persons expressed feelings of helplessness towards the approaching natural disaster, claiming there is very little they can do about it but to sit back and watch as nature takes its course.

Both communities are flood-prone areas and in the past have been ravaged by tropical storms.

"Wah we a go do 'bout it?" questioned Cedric Phillips, a resident of Portland Cottage.

Phillips was one of a group of friends who took it upon themselves to make an attempt at cleaning a section of the drainage system running through their community.

"We cya mek nuh whole heap a preparation 'cause a di sea a our backyard, and to di side weh di storm a come from even if wi baton down wi house might still mash up," another man from the group explained, as the others nodded their heads in agreement.

Upon visiting the Portland Cottage Fishing Village, a number of fishermen were seen attending to and making preparations to secure their boats.

According to them, the passage of Hurricane Dean in 2007, left a number of boats destroyed and several missing.

"Wi neva tek Dean serious, and when it reach who fah boat nuh get damage, end up missing. Me nuh waa dat reach mi, so mi a secure my boat," fisherman Wilfred Dawes said.

Asked about preparations for his home, Dawes also said there was little he would be doing. "Mi jus' a pray it nuh deal wid mi too wicked, because when yu think bout it di only thing mi can do fi avoid damage is fi leave, but mi nuh have nowhere else fi go."

Dawes' claim of having nowhere to relocate to, even just temporarily, was similar to the claims of a number of residents from Rocky Point.

They, too, believe hope would be their best bet in the passage of Tropical Storm Sandy.

"Every time storm come my place get damage, even though every time mi try prepare. Mi naw do much this time, but mi ago get some rope and try tie down di roof still," Rocky Point resident Georgia Douglas said.

Persons from the community with whom THE STAR spoke say they have become somewhat 'numb' to news of storms or the approaching of them.

"All if wi baton down it naw stop nothing, to be honest. When storm beat wi it beat wi bad, suh all wi can do is hope fi di best," another resident said.