The Tribune

By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

ABACO businesses say they largely fared well during Hurricane Nicole with little to no damage reported, although water had yet to be restored to the island’s north before press time last night.

Javal McIntosh, owner/ operator of 3J’s Construction in North Abaco, told Tribune Business: “The 70 miles per hour wind they projected, I feel we had more than that. But the power is back on as it came back on last night (Wednesday).

“We don’t have water back up as yet, but the power is on. One or two pieces of debris was in the road and stuff like that, but we are good. Flooding took place in the Blackwood community. A lot of flooding was out there, and also on the front street in Coopers Town, water came up across the road. But, other than that, Blackwood had the brunt of the flooding.”

Basil Hall, owner/operator of Abaco Communications & Security Services, said there was little to no impact from Nicole other than plenty of rain - but no flooding - when it passed over the island still at tropical storm strength. He added: “Everybody around me is doing fine. [It’s] just that we have a few fences down and we helped to get them back up.”

Power was restored to Central Abaco by 1am on Thursday morning, and Mr Hall said: “The power wasn’t off for very long. It went off at around 4pm at the height of the storm. But I would rather this than Hurricane Dorian. I was here during Dorian and the island still isn’t fully 100 percent from where Abaco was.”

Lance Pinder, Abaco Big Bird’s operations manager, said the business had little to no impact from Nicole. “We are two-and-a-half miles from the ocean at the closest point, so we are pretty far inland and we really didn’t have anything,” he added.

“I’m 10 miles away from town but I know for Marsh Harbour in the front streets, like Bay Street, they had some minor flooding come up. But all of my staff were able to come to work from Marsh Harbour.”