Fish farmer kept eye on his stock as Beryl raged

While most Jamaicans were hunkered down on Wednesday inside their homes hoping that Hurricane Beryl wouldn't take their homes, Ryan Crosby was worried about other things - his fish.

The resident of Studley Park, Hannah Town, Kingston, started rearing tilapia last November and has about 50 of them now. Crosby said that he spent the majority of his time on Wednesday outside in the storm, tending to his fish farm.

"Me deh out here right through the storm because me never want nothing do dem. Me did a worry bout dem. Me just did a fret say zinc or tree go inna the water," Crosby said. Unfortunately, he said that he lost a couple of the fully grown fishes and evidence of their death was seen in the fish pond, with two sheets of zinc in the fish tank.

"Good thing is a nuh nuff me lose so me can try again. Me soon up and running again," Crosby said. Overall, the residents of Studley Park are counting their blessings following the passage of the hurricane, which did serious damage in parishes such as St Elizabeth.

The news team spotted Orlando Brown doing clean-up activities with Crosby before noon on Thursday. The men related that despite a few downed trees and heavy gusts of winds, they believe they were spared the brunt of Hurricane Beryl's wrath. Brown, who has a garden that was fenced by ply board, was seen effecting repairs.

"Whole heap a tree did drop down; we did affi chop dem up and ting. The breeze blow down the fence up there and take off some of the ply board I have fencing my garden. I plant mint, small peppers, okra and dem sumn deh for the household," Brown said.