The following is an update re the damage caused to Jamaica by flooding, heavy winds and constant rains in the aftermath of Tropical Depression #16 which developed into Tropical Storm (TS) Nicole.
Mr. Ronald Jackson, Director-General of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), in an interview with Naomi Francis on Nationwide Radio's morning programme, This Morning, today, said that:
13 people are dead, 2 are missing.
(The last report was that 11 people were dead, 14 were missing. Notice how the number of missing persons have suddenly reduced, without the related number of dead persons being substantially increased?)
The most-affected parishes, by flooding, are:
- Westmoreland
- St. Elizabeth - especially South St. Elizabeth
- Hanover.
These parishes will be declared disaster zones, in order to trigger support for relief and recovery efforts. (Monetary assistance is being sought from Jamaica's international partners).
The hilly areas of the following parishes are having access problems:
- St. Thomas
- St. Andrew
- St. Catherine.
[The National Works Agency (NWA) will be testing volcanic ash (which occurs naturally in St. Thomas), as a binding agent to use in the construction of roads in hilly terrains in Jamaica.
The ash is said to be as strong as cement, when dried.
But you know what?
The University of Technology's (UTECH's) School of Building and Land Management has an annual expo in which the students give results of experiments on certain materials that can be used to better-construct our roads...I'm wondering if representatives of the NWA have ever been to these expositions?
Are the NWA and industry conversing/partnering with UTECH, where this is concerned?
Is this another example of where our universities do research that goes to waste, because industry and government don't work with them to adopt technologies that can be used for the greater good and hence strengthen the viability of our economy?]
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Three (3) shelters are still open, Sandy Park Basic School and two (2) community centres in Sandy Park. Under 100 persons are still in shelters, but these numbers are decreasing, as the homes of the affected, dry out (as the weather situation improves).
Mr. Jackson said that the general concern is for those in the Sandy Park area, with no homes to go back to.
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Mr. Jackson, in another interview this morning, on Television Jamaica's morning programme, Smile Jamiaca, said that:
There are certain areas in Jamaica that are prone to flooding, as they are seasonal rivers. These include Ferry along the Mandela Highway (in St. Catherine), Havendale and Western Portland.
So our planning should seek to mitigate against damage in these areas.
He also said that standards need to be enforced amongst the agencies and utility companies that have to dig up roads to lay pipes. These agencies and companies have been guilty of not restoring the road infrastructure to its original state, when they carry out their operations.
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Following the Cabinet Meeting today, Minister of Transport and Works- Mike Henry, said that preliminary estimates re the monies needed to repair roads and other infrastructure, as a result of TS Nicole, is approximately JMD $10.6 billion.
However, JMD $1 billion is needed to clean up the Kingston Harbour where garbage is preventing ships from docking.
[I would like to the thank NASA Goddard Photo and Videofor the use of their Flickr inset photo of Tropical Storm Nicole, taken yesterday. (It's represented as the circular and semi-circular white masses of cloud cover in the picture)].
Gillian
Sources Include
1) Television Jamaica's Prime Time News at 7:00 p.m., October 4, 2010
2) Nationwide Radio, October 4, 2010
