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PORT MARIA, St Mary - Audrey's Distributors has no insurance to fall back on after losing more than $3.8 million worth of goods one week ago when flood waters swept through Port Maria's commercial hub, leaving havoc in its wake.A similar predicament faces many other small businesses that have accused insurance companies of being reluctant to sell them coverage because they are located in the town on the island's north-eastern coast that is susceptible to being inundated by flood water.Accounting manager at Audrey's Distributors, Jeffrick Lecky, told the Jamaica Observer that, "Four years back we attempted to get the company insured but the premium was extremely high, especially in Port Maria that's flood-prone, and there was not a guarantee that we would get the insurance. That wasn't an option for us because we are a small business trying to make life... We are currently in talks with different companies to see how best they can assist us, but we can't force them."The business, which sells a wide variety of food and household items, remained closed to customers on Tuesday - a week after the flood ravaged its stocks."We haven't seen any help in terms of persons coming in asking how things are and if we need assistance. To be honest, we weren't expecting any handouts, but even a check-up [from the authorities] would actually be nice," added Lecky.A stone's throw away from Audrey's Distributors on Main Street, Richard Cooper, on Monday afternoon, tended to customers as he worked at recovering from the "severe loss" he suffered at RAD Farmers Bargain Depot."I have lost millions of dollars... The water came in about four feet high. It is a farm store and so I had animal feed and fertilisers on the ground. I also lost some merchandise," he said, while noting that sales have declined because some customers lost their livestock."New businesses currently in Port Maria cannot be insured because none of the insurance companies are willing to take that risk, and that is so sad," lamented Cooper."I don't want to bash anybody because everybody is in business, but it is unfortunate for those of us who would have liked insurance. I tried just about every insurance company when I started the company [two years ago]. I even have friends in the system that I've asked to see if there is any of their colleagues who is willing to insure Port Maria and nobody wanted to do so... Based on my understanding, it's like every five to six years you can expect flooding here in Port Maria and so the risk is very high... I don't know what the Government intends to do because the frequency [of the floods] is too great to be comforting for any businessperson," Cooper said.Another company, Port Maria Enterprise Hardware and Haberdashery, which has been operating in the parish capital for many years, was once insured.According to Eleanor Howell, the proprietor, insurance companies started hitting businesses with excessively high premiums when the series of flooding started.Howell placed the blame for the flooding squarely on the State, which she accused of changing the natural flow of the Outram River, which runs through the town and ends in the sea.She also proposed that gabion baskets be placed in the river to eventually reduce the likelihood of the town being flooded.Mops and water boots at Howell's business have been sold out due to the flood, but the earnings from them pale in comparison to the more than $1 million in losses.Up to Monday afternoon, workers were still trying to salvage some of the goods. The company's two vehicles - a forklift and a truck - also remained out of operation due to mechanical problems attributed to the flood waters.Like their colleagues on Main Street, businesses operators on Stennett Street are still tallying their losses.The owner of Books Stationery & Supplies, Peter Robinson, so far counted hundreds of thousands of dollars in terms of goods destroyed. A clean-up operation was still in full swing at the company a week after the flood, and the half-opened business had just resumed sales through a grille."This is flood number six for us and it has stopped business for a week. The clean-up process is very taxing. This flood, unlike the others, came suddenly and so there was not time to prepare for it," Robinson explained.His business, which has been in operation since 1998, is insured and so he is optimistic that he will be able to recover some of the losses. However, Robinson said he was aware that newer companies in Port Maria are having a tough time getting insurance coverage.With no insurance to fall back on, Stanley Mooyston, who has been running a woodwork shop at his Stennett Street home for 50 years, appealed for the Government - or just about anyone - to give him a helping hand."This is the worse flood mi ever si...," said Mooyston."Mi have casket and those things to build and all of them wet up. Dis will probably tek mi one month before mi get back pon foot again... The damage [to my business] is about $300,000. Mi naah look anything fi thief... Mi need assistance," added Mooyston.He told the Observer that the flood swept away several pieces of his lumber, rendered six important work-related tools defective, and left his delivery truck with major mechanical issues.President of the St Mary Chamber of Commerce Fredrick Young said most businesses in Port Maria have been adversely affected by the flood."I would say over 90 per cent of all the houses or businesses in Port Maria township, and its environs, would have been impacted at varying degrees. Some small businesses have been totally wiped out; some persons haven't opened back for business," said Young."Even businesses that are now reopening are reopening with limited stock and so they need some push-start. They need some soft loan, some recovery loan, some waiver - something that can get them restarted quickly," added Young.Knowing that a number of companies in Port Maria are not insured against natural disasters, Young is appreciative that some of the big supply chains are extending credit on goods to those affected by the flood waters."Most insurance companies who are aware of Port Maria being flooded are going to be almost reluctant in having these businesses insured against flood because it happens every six to 10 years," noted Young.In the meantime, Member of Parliament for St Mary Central, where Port Maria is located, Dr Morais Guy, urged the insurance companies to reassess their views of Port Maria."Even if you are going to weigh the policy quite heavy, at least you can have something in place," said Guy."I have heard from about four business operators who said they have been wiped out, but they don't have anything to collect from insurance because they won't offer insurance in Port Maria," lamented Guy.