Hurricane Charley Left Minimal Damage in Western Jamaica

Thursday, 12 August 2004 17:00

Residents in western Jamaica breathed sighs of relief and thanked God for sparing them from Charley, a category one hurricane, which veered away from the country, causing a few incidents of flooding in particular areas.

The parish of Westmoreland appeared to have been the worst affected, with several sections of Whitehouse reeling from heavy flooding and damage to roadways. There were reports of a house being extensively damaged in Red Ground, Negril, when a cotton tree fell on it. Three persons were reportedly injured in that incident.

Mayor of Savanna-La-Mar, Councillor Delford Morgan, told JIS News that some residents in Whitehouse lost personal belongings as a number of houses were inundated.

"Some streets in Savanna-La-Mar such as Hudson and Dalling, experienced flooding, likewise in Smithfield and Three Miles River, there were flooding of some houses in low-lying areas with a total of six persons badly affected."

"All in all I think we have been spared the worst and are thankful. As a parish we were prepared and shelters were identified and opened to accommodate affected persons. Presently we are out in the field assessing the damage and compiling a full report which should be available in another three hours or so," Mayor Morgan told JIS News.

In St. James, Disaster Coordinator, Fay Headley told JIS News that all was calm in the parish as there were no reports of any flooding or damage of any kind to houses, roadways or properties.

"All our officers headed by Mayor Noel Donaldson and Superintendent of Roads and Works, Tubal Brown, are now touring sections of the parish and so far no reports to suggest that the parish of St. James was affected in any way have been received," he informed.

Meanwhile, over in Hanover, Administrator at the Parish Council Office, Cecile Gibson, told JIS News that up to this morning (Aug. 12) there were no reports of any problems of flooding within the parish.

"As far as the parish of Hanover is concerned, everything seems intact, because we have not yet received any report of any land slippage or any blocked roads or anything else to the contrary. At this moment, our Poor Relief Officer and the Superintendent of Roads and Works are out in the areas, so later we will hear if the parish has been affected in any way," Mrs. Gibson told JIS News.