Seek shelter before it's too late, residents urged

 

Some 42 shelters are currently active in St. Thomas ahead of Hurricane Melissa, with three schools taking in the majority of the residents. 

 

These include the Yallahs and Morant Bay primary schools and Paul Bogle High School. 

 

Chief Executive Officer at the St. Thomas Municipal Corporation, Kevin Mcindoe, says the corporation activated its emergency shelter and its drop-in shelter where five persons are being accommodated. 

 

"As early as 7 a.m. we would have activated our emergency operations centre and also our drop-in centre. So currently we have five persons at our drop-in centre - four females, one male. And the local police, the Morant Bay Police in particular, they have been picking up homeless persons in and around Morant Bay and taking them to the shelter so we can provide and care for them."

 

Mr. Mcindoe said the municipal corporation had pre-positioned emergency supplies to communities such as Penlyne Castle and Hagley Gap, which are far away and vulnerable. 

 

Meanwhile, Martina Medley-Goode, Disaster Coordinator at the St. Thomas Municipal Corporation, is urging persons to seek shelter before it's too late. 

 

"Do not wait until the situation has worsened, when there is flooding, when your home is being flooded out or landslide and then you're trying to leave. It's going to be very difficult for us to come and rescue you. It's going to be difficult for you to leave. So I'm encouraging persons as best as possible to leave. Also, if you have to leave and go to the nearest shelter, you can bring yourself some supplies until we can reach to provide the necessary supplies, for example like food," she advised. 

 

 

Chairman of the Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation and Mayor of Kingston, Andrew Swaby, is appealing to residents in low-lying areas to hunker down as Hurricane Melissa lashes the island. 

 

A number of residents of south side in Central Kingston loaded up in buses on Sunday to head to shelters. 

 

Mayor Swaby said while he was heartened, he is still concerned for those who have not heeded the warning. 

 

"The JUTC bus arrived and 21 persons have boarded the bus and they have been sent to the Holy Family Primary School. [They were] mostly elderly, but I waspleased to see a number of young persons there on the bus. We have never had the experience of a Category 4 or Category 5 hurricane. This is going to be huge. And I would say the persons in low-lying areas, you know your area, you have seen what it is like, and I'm just encouraging you to find somewhere safe. You may not want to go to the shelter. Find a family member or friend and ride out the storm there," he urged. 

 

Meanwhile, residents of Vineyard Town in St. Andrew are concerned that heavy rains associated with Hurricane Melissa will result in overflow from the McGregor Gully.

 

Recent heavy rains have eroded sections of the roadway connected with the gully, and there are concerns that this will be made even worse by the prevailing storm conditions.

 

Some residents have already moved out because in previous rainy instances and hurricanes, a number of homes have been flooded.

 

 

In Flagaman man, St. Elizabeth a few residents have sought shelter at a shop in the community, as they say the nearest location is not suitable for accommodation.

 

The designated shelter at Flagaman Community Centre is reportedly missing some window panes.

 

One resident, Phillip Gordon, told Radio Jamaica News he went to the shop instead because it was "the safest place to be", noting that the community centre "is not convenient for the people". 

 

"This is the only place we could go for now because it is deck building, and...the people are so nice, they opened that they could accommodate couple of the people from the community to be here, and it's very safe for them," he said. 

 

Meanwhile, some residents of the Treasure Beach are heeding advisories to leave the coastal area for higher ground. 

 

The community as well as others, such as Santa Cruz, Lacovia, Balaclava Windsor and Thornton, lost electricity at 6 a.m. Monday during intermittent heavy winds.

 

Additionally, there are several communities that have reported that they are without their regular domestic water supply. 

 

In the Middle Quarters area, residents who live between Middle Quarters Square and Whitehall are complaining that several drains in those areas have not been cleared. They appealed to their member of Parliament and councillor to have those drains cleaned before the the hurricane. They are worried that if those drains are not cleaned, flooding will take place.

 

Similar calls have been made for the drains along the Whitehall to Baptist Road to be cleared. 

 

 

In the meantime, Councillor of the Negril Division in Westmoreland, Arthel Colley, is appealing to residents in Whitehall to immediately evacuate and to go to one of the approved shelters. 

 

Mr. Colley is also warning residents not to go to the Negril Primary School and Negril Community Centre for shelter from the storm, since they are too near to the sea. 

 

"I'm appealing especially to the persons that live in the Whitehall area to move, and move now. What is happening [is] that the hurricane is coming. It's not a if, it's a must. And I'm appealing to the persons especially on the Whitehall to move to a shelter. The Adventist church is open from yesterday, the Sheffield school is open, Mount Airy school is open. And I'm appealing to them not to go to the Negril School because it is too near to the seaside, and as a result it could be a threat to these resident if they stay here," he warned.

 

He said Negril Primary School will be used as a shelter after the storm has passed.

 

The Negril Community Centre, he said, will not be used because it is leaking badly.