The parish of St. Thomas has suffered severe devastation in the wake of Hurricane Dean.

Several communities such as Rio Grande, Hillside, Logan Lane, Scotland and Pomfret are currently marooned.

When The Gleaner spoke to disaster relief coordinator, Millicent Blake, she indicated people were already trying to pick up the pieces left by Dean.

As early as yesterday morning, the Rose Hill main road had seen serious erosion, and was reduced to single-lane traffic. Eyewitness reports indicate that only cars and small vans can traverse that road.

Predictably, the Yallahs ford itself was the first to be affected by rains associated with Hurricane Dean and is now impassable.

Blake said 200 persons were in shelters across the parish.

- Arthur Green

EMERGENCY NUMBERS

PARISH DISASTER COORDINATORS

St. James - Amanda Thompson (952-5500-2/ 4406; 393-6172)

Hanover - Olga Faye-Headly (369-8126; 307-1913; 956-2947/ 2305/ 2236)

Westmoreland - Hilma Tate(955-2655/ 2798/2797; 360-7686

St. Elizabeth - Yvonne Morrison (846-4959; 965-2740/76)

Manchester - Claudia Coley(809-4016; 962-2278-9)

Clarendon - Charmaine Williams (368-4223; 986-2216/2234/ 2403)

St. Catherine - Patricia Lewis(832-5188; 984-3111-2; 907-1785)

KSAC - Isaac Nugent (967-5072; 309-1917)

St. Thomas - Millicent Blake(360-7330; 982-9449/ 2562/ 2513/9366)

Portland - Denise Lewis (879-9084/810-8421; 993-2665/ 2765/ 3188)

St. Mary - Myrnel Grant (372-7696; 490-8661; 994-2212/ 2178/ 9410; 956-2947)

St. Ann - Alvin Clarke (360-7460; 972-2615-7; 794-9332-3)

Trelawny - Dion Hylton (397-2269/2269; 954-5346/ 5592)

JUTC CONTACTS

Portmore: Asher Creary (448-6338)

Lyndhurst: Dwight Bent(448-4824)/Viviene Davis (448-5889

Spanish Town: Glenroy Davy(434-2863)/Fabian Loney (447-9594)

JAMAICA CONSTABULARY FORCE

EOC - 978-8166

ODPEM's NEOC

930-8271/7771/7052