West Coast Takes A Pounding

The west coast along with the east and north coasts of the island are in recovery mode this week from what were in some places the devastating waves which struck the island for several days last week as a result of a weather system in the North Atlantic. These waves were felt on several other islands throughout the eastern and northern Caribbean with countries like Antigua, Anguilla, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and Cuba also recording significant impact. The system was also being linked to severe flooding which affected some parts of the mainland USA. There was one drowning incident on the west coast where a senior citizen lost his life while taking an early morning sea bath in the vicinity of Brandons Beach. Several west coast beachfront properties were inundated with sea water and sand including the restaurants at Almond Beach Village at Heywoods in St. Peter and Mango Bay Hotel at Holetown in St. James.

In some places along the west coast beaches actually gained some sand and were broadened, but in other places, like at the popular Mullins Beach in St. Peter, a lot of sand was actually washed out to sea exposing tree roots along with the pile of rocks upon which the beach bar was erected. The beach bar itself sustained significant damage to its decking area and lost the beach which ironically on the same day the waves started was the subject of controversy reported. The video clip above show some of the wave action at Mullins. Click here for more pictures and video.