Jamaica - Hurricane Dean Post

[halfwaytree]

Re: Hurricane Dean

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: turtledude</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Pepper</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Dean is now a Cat 5 hurricane. Prayers and best wishes to those in the current path of Dean. [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/70384-praying.gif[/img] </div></div>

...my brother-in-law in Belize about 30-40 mi south of the eye right now. [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/70384-praying.gif[/img] he's an arsehal but I wouldn't wish this on anybody. I can't imagine. [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/frown.gif[/img] </div></div>

Ya I had one of those arsehal brother-in-laws too. Hope he's OK!

[halfwaytree]

Re: Hurricane Dean

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: turtledude</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
<span style='font-family: Courier New'> .....Dean appeared to be bearing down on the Yucatan's most vulnerable population -- the Mayan people — many of whom have seen little of the riches from oil or tourism, and still live in traditional wooden slat huts in small settlements all over this low-lying area.

</span>
</div></div>

God is good ain't he? [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/rolleyes.gif[/img]

[jamaica_dreamin]

Re: Jamaica - Hurricane Dean Post

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BlackStar</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Have there been any reports about the 17 people who remained on Pedro Cay Sunday? </div></div>

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TreasureBeach.Net: TB Runnin's: The Cays
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By Mrs. R on Monday, August 20, 2007 - 02:09 pm:
Has there been any official word on the 17 people on the Cays yet?
I'm hoping the rumors are not true.



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By Mrs R on Tuesday, August 21, 2007 - 06:17 am:
No word yet on the people on the Cays? The families must be distraught. My husband knows atleast 3 of them.


I did not see any news about these people on TB.net. Hopefully they are ok! I read that JDF told them to break the locks on the JDF building on the Cays and take shelter. Maybe they did and survived.

[Xavier]

Re: Jamaica - Hurricane Dean Post

OFFICE OF DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

NEWS RELEASE # 15

ISSUED ON: Monday, August 20, 2007 at 6:00pm

HURRICANE WARNING LIFTED FOR THE ISLAND

The Hurricane warning was lifted for the island of Jamaica at 10:00am by the Meteorological Service. In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Dean the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) reports that, regrettably, two persons were confirmed dead from the parishes of Clarendon and St. Thomas.


BLOCKED ROADWAYS
A number of blocked roads have been reported from the Kingston Metropolitan Area, Western and Northeastern sections of the island, details of which are as follows:

Westmoreland:
• Single lane traffic from Bogue to Content
• Hopeton to Auchin Town blocked
• Chestercastle to Jacksongate (Westmoreland end) blocked
• Single lane traffic in the Three Miles area

St. James:
• Anchovy to Mount Honeb is impassable and the Richmond route is reduced to single lane traffic.
• Downed JPS wires from Chestercastle to Jacksongate (Hanover end)

Trelawny:
Single lane traffic from:
• Rock to Steer Town
• Falmouth to Springvale
• Martha Brae to Kinloss

Work is currently in progress to clear all blocked roads from:
• Rio Bueno to Jackson Town
• Duncans to Long Pond
• Salt Marsh to Kent
• Hamdem to Wakefield
• Deeside to Drumily

Portland:
• All main roads have been cleared except roadways from Muirton to Fair Prospect and Hector’s River to Muirton in Buff Bay.

St. Catherine:
• The Bog Walk area and roads from Ewarton to Mount Diablo are open to single lane traffic.
St. Ann
Single lane traffic:
• From Priory to Bamboo
• Hopewell to Ocho Rios
• Green Park to St. Ann’s Bay
• Milford to Parry Town
• Brown’s Town to Bamboo
• Brown’s Town to Alexandria
• Moneague to Blackstonedge
SHELTERS:
Earlier today 268 shelters remained open across the island, housing some 6,445 persons. This number is expected to decrease as persons return to their respective homes.
AIRPORTS:
The roadway leading to the Norman Manley airport is now open to single lane traffic and the airport is currently accommodating emergency flights only. Full operations should resume tomorrow. At the other end of the island, the Donald Sangster Airport has re-opened to the public.

COORDINATION OF RELIEF SUPPLIES:
The National Welfare Sub-committee has met and is seeking to establish registration centres for the impacted communities. These registration centres will be located at Seven-Day Adventist Churches island-wide and other soon to be named locations. Emergency distribution of critical relief supplies has commenced and is being coordinated through the Parish Disaster Committee.

[Xavier]

Re: Jamaica - Hurricane Dean Post

Good evening from the office of ODPEM,

Attached is the most recent update (Press Release 15) on Hurricane Dean from the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management.

Regrettably, the damage assessment process is not sufficiently advanced to facitilate preparation of a detailed "Needs List". However, from intial reports to the ODPEM we are in critical need of:

* Roofing Items (Galvanized sheeting, hooks, latches, bolts etc.)
* Non-perishable food items
* Bedding (sheets, blankets, sleeping bags etc)
* First Aid Kits
* Basic drugs (such as pain killers)
* Infant necessities (diapers, baby-food, cereal, juices)
* Toiletries
* Flashlights
* Portable, battery operated radios
* Water purification devises


Regards,
Krechet Douglas-greaves
ODPEM

[Xavier]

Re: Jamaica - Hurricane Dean Post

Jamaica Foundation Of Houston’s Hurricane Dean Relief Effort

The Jamaica Foundation of Houston is working in conjunction with the Honorary Jamaican Consul in Houston and other agencies and groups interested in helping the relief effort in Jamaica in the wake of the devastation by Hurricane Dean on August 19, 2007. At this early stage it is too soon to make a complete and accurate assessment of all the damage, however, we will disclose the assessments as they become available from respective institutions in Jamaica. When specific requested items are identified, we will designate drop off points for relief supplies.
Our early response is to send financial support, as we describe below. We will seek bulk transportation opportunities for relief supplies once the needs have been identified and the supplies donated and assembled.

Checks can be made out to the Jamaica Foundation of Houston, with a notation: Hurricane Relief on the memo line. Please mail to the Jamaica Foundation, P O Box 710824, Houston TX 77271-0824.

An alternative to sending checks is to use a credit card and utilize the PayPal Donation button on our website. You will receive an e-mail confirmation of the PayPal donation.
The Jamaica Foundation of Houston is a 501-C3 non-profit organization, EID # 76-0641809, and cash donations may be deductible under IRS rules.

[Ivory]

Re: Hurricane Dean

Tropicana, this is what I see so far for the GTA...

Jamaican Expats in Toronto Set to Ship Goods Home – According to Tom Godfrey in the Toronto Sun (p 5-6), Jamaican Canadians are breathing a huge sigh of relief after Hurricane Dean left their island nation battered but not bloodied. Many now plan on buying barrels to fill with clothing, canned food and health products to send to relatives or friends. Sandra Carnegie-Douglas, president of the Jamaican Canadian Association, said three charitable bank accounts have been reactivated to accept donations from the community. ‘We are asking people to make monetary contributions," Carnegie-Douglas said yesterday. "All the funds will go to the Red Cross and to Jamaica's rebuilding efforts.’” Toronto Sun, August 21, 2007, On-line

[Ivory]

Re: Jamaica - Hurricane Dean Post

Has anyone heard if the Elections will be canceled, or proceeding same way?

[esp]

Re: Jamaica - Hurricane Dean Post

Election postponed
published: Tuesday | August 21, 2007


Governor-General Professor Kenneth Hall is expected today to announce a new date for the holding of the general election, following the unanimous recommendation by the Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ) yesterday, to postpone the August 27 poll.

The ECJ made the announcement in a press statement last night. The decision to postpone the date of the election means the security forces and election day workers will not vote today as previously scheduled.

Earlier yesterday, Information Minister Donald Buchanan told reporters at Jamaica House that following an emergency meeting yesterday, the ECJ "gave full consideration to the passage of Hurri-cane Dean, its impact on Jamaica (and) the capacity of the Electoral Office to hold fair, good, efficient elections under the prevailing conditions".

Speaking at the post-Cabinet press briefing, Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller stressed that the decision to maintain or postpone the date of the election was for the Electoral Commission and the Governor-General to decide.

"It is out of the hands of the Prime Minister and politicians now," she said. "If the commission and the Governor-General said the election will continue to be on the 27th, then I will get myself tunedto going out on the 27th. If (it is) not the 27th, then I will have to apply myself and ensure my party will do the same," she added.

G-G's discretion

Section 20 of the Representation of the People Act empowers the Governor-General to adjourn "polling day" in the event of an emergency including the:

country at war
proclamation of a State of Emergency
occurrence of any earthquake, hurricane, flood, fire, outbreak of pestilence
likelihood that the official lists for all constituencies or any particular constituency will not be printed before election day.

Source

[DutchJam]

Re: Jamaica - Hurricane Dean Post

Anybody knows about the (mobile) phone connections in Westmoreland?
I could reach a friend Sunday around midnight for a few minutes, but from that moment I can't reach her anymore.

Tnx!

[Diplomat]

Re: Hurricane Dean

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: turtledude</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Pepper</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Dean is now a Cat 5 hurricane. Prayers and best wishes to those in the current path of Dean. [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/70384-praying.gif[/img] </div></div>
...my brother-in-law in Belize about 30-40 mi south of the eye right now. [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/70384-praying.gif[/img] he's an arsehal but I wouldn't wish this on anybody. I can't imagine. [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/frown.gif[/img] </div></div>
I sure hope he is safe. We're supposed to be in Belize this Thursday. So far they have had heavy winds and rain, and with Dean reduced to a Cat 3, I'm hopeful the airport will be open on Thursday. I'm really looking forward to this particular adventure unless a certain person gets cold feet and we end up somewhere else [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/70384-praying.gif[/img]

[Tropicana]

Re: Hurricane Dean

Map giving bird's eye view of damage island wide and in specific parishes. Don't try to post it on the board...it is huge:

http://www.alertnet.org/thefacts/imagerepository/satelliteimage/118769537076__orig.jpg

Xavier, maybe you can get permission to repost it.

[Xavier]

Re: Hurricane Dean

Thanks for posting the link. I think that is all we can do for now as it may be very complicated to get permission to reuse it on the site.

[Xavier]

Re: Hurricane Dean

OFFICE OF DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

NEWS RELEASE #16
ISSUED ON: Tuesday, August 21, 2007 at 12:45 p.m.

The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) has been advised by the Meteorological Service of Jamaica that the Tropical Storm Warning issued on Monday, August 20 at 11:00 a.m., was lifted that same day at 2:00 p.m. as the threat of tropical storm conditions no longer exists for the island.

Most sections of the island already began to experience improvements in weather conditions. These are expected to continue across the island, except for relatively brief periods of showers and gusty winds.

Meanwhile, the ODPEM is advising the public to avoid dumping trees and other garbage in gullies in order to prevent future flooding.

All garbage is to be placed in garbage bags and left on the roadside and the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) will collect.

[jamaica_dreamin]

Re: Jamaica - Hurricane Dean Post

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BlackStar</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Have there been any reports about the 17 people who remained on Pedro Cay Sunday? </div></div>

By patrickm on Tuesday, August 21, 2007 - 02:25 pm:
Got this from Radiojamaica.com.

The headline says that they've returned to land safe but the body of the article says that they are still out there. But at least they are probably safe.

http://www.radiojamaica.com/content/view/597/26/

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Persons stranded on Pedro Cays return to land safely

Tuesday, 21 August 2007

The 20 persons who remained on the Pedro Cays despite orders to evacuate are reported to be safe.

A release from the Jamaica Defence Force said the 18 men and two women had taken refuge in its Coast Guard Office.
One of the women sustained a minor injury but was treated by a JDF medic.
Prior to the hurricane's impact the JDF Coast Guard, the Met Office and the ODPEM had advised persons on the Cays to leave.
The JDF says all 20 persons are still on the Cays.