By Denise Clarke, Staff Reporter
An aerial view of Tresure Beach in St. Elizabeth shows a house still surrounded by water from the system recently affecting the island. - Norman Grindley /Staff Photographer
WESTERN BUREAU:
DISASTER TEAMS in Westmoreland are still tallying the damage caused by last week's flood rains due to tropical storm Isidore. Up to Tuesday of this week, sixteen persons were still being housed at the Christian Fellowship Church and the Washington Education Centre in Little London. Hundreds of persons affected by the floods have rushed to register for relief assistance at centres opened throughout the parish.
"We have about 600 persons registered so far," parish disaster co-ordinator Hilma Tate said on Tuesday. She added, however, that this number could climb over the 800 mark when the registration process is complete.
Most of the displaced residents are from the McNeill Land area, where it was reported that water levels had risen up to five feet. The residents had to flee their homes as rising waters flooded houses, drowned livestock and destroyed crops on Wednesday and Thursday last week.
On Monday, Minister of State in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Floyd Morris, accompanied by the Member of Parliament for the area, Dr. Wykeham McNeill, and Deputy Director of the ODPEM, Paul Saunders toured the affected areas and promised speedy relief for the affected persons.
However, some persons in the shelters complained to The Gleaner that they were not happy with the relief efforts. One woman claimed that she and several others were without food, while they were sheltering at the Little London Primary School over the weekend. In his response, Dr McNeill praised the disaster teams for their 'quick response' and said the problems experienced by some persons may have been due to other affected persons not staying at the shelter, coming in to remove the supplies. "I am really happy with the response from the ODPEM," said Dr. McNeill. "What they did was to give food to the people, but some took the food and went back to stay with their friends and relatives."
Flooding was also reported in Little London, Ricketts River, Wharf Road in Smithfield, and Dalling Street and Russia, in Savanna-la-Mar. Strong winds also downed trees and utility posts all over the parish, leaving several districts without electricity for two days.
