Hurricane Melissa destroys St Ann restaurant, owner stays positive

A determined smile never left Pamaline Baggo's face as she sifted through the rubble of her seaside eatery in St Ann Bay on Wednesday. For the second time in a year, Miss Pam's Fish Joint lay in splintered wood and twisted zinc, flattened by Hurricane Melissa.

The shop was one of about nine wooden businesses along the main road destroyed when the category 5 storm made landfall on Tuesday. Baggo said her restaurant suffered a similar fate last July during Hurricane Beryl.

"There's nothing I can do about it. I'm not going to cry, I'm not into that," she told The STAR. "I just pray to God and ask Him to help me, protect me, and guide me along the way."

Workmen were on hand, clearing debris as Baggo vowed to rebuild her six-year-old business despite the daunting task. She said rebuilding after Beryl had come at a "significant cost" and sacrifice.

"I didn't get any help. I had to take out loans, work, and pay them back. I'm still paying off loans," she said.

- Livern Barrett

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