John Myers Jr. and Tyrone Reid, Staff Reporters
After witnessing several cars failing to get across this pool of water on Molynes Road, this motorist was courageous to attempt to cross yesterday. - CARLINGTON WILMOT/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER
NEARLY 2,000 persons are now being housed in shelters due to rising waters triggered by torrential rains influenced by Hurricane Dennis. The centre of the hurricane passed some 60 kilometres off the north-eastern coast of the island on its way to Cuba yesterday afternoon.
Yesterday, Dr. Barbara Carby, director-general of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), said the poor weather was preventing the speedy delivery of vital supplies to the shelters located in 60 communities, in mostly central and eastern parishes across the island.
In a press conference yesterday, Prime Minister P.J. Patterson raised concerns about flooding: "The greater danger is that of flooding because even before this, the ground in many parts of the island was already saturated and for heavy rainfall to come on top of that means that we are exposed to flooding." He advised citizens to pay particular attention to landslides which could threaten homes as well as the road infrastructure.
The rains also resulted in the flooding and blockage of several roads across the island including:
ST. THOMAS
Yallahs Ford
Seaforth
Trinityville
Serge Island
Morant Bay
ST. CATHERINE
Bog Walk Gorge
Angels' Junction
PORTLAND
Windsor Castle
Palisadoes Road
FLOODED COMMUNITIES:
ST. CATHERINE
White Water Meadows
Sections of Greater Portmore
Sections of Willowdene
ST. ANDREW
Sections of Washington Gardens
Sections of Kintyre.
At 5:00 p.m. yesterday a hurricane warning was still in effect for Jamaica as the hurricane system continued to gain strength while it moved outside the north-eastern coast of the island.
Prime Minister Patterson in the meantime expressed satisfaction with the response of disaster preparedness agencies to Hurricane Dennis.
He said the country "already has expressions not only of solidarity, but of a willingness to make assistance available, should it be necessary, from all the CARICOM governments."
