JAMAICA yesterday began preparing for the possible effects of Hurricane Dean, which was expected to cross the Lesser Antilles by early today and move close to the country by Sunday.
Late yesterday Dean, a category two hurricane, had sustained winds of 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) and was moving towards the west at 23 miles per hour (37 km/h). It was expected to strengthen last night. At 5:00 pm yesterday the system was 335 kilometres east-northeast of Barbados and 490 km east of Martinique.
Today, Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller will chair a meeting of the National Disaster Committee at Jamaica House, where she is expected to receive status reports on the state of readiness of the various agencies and review the country's disaster plan.
Among the agencies expected to be in attendance are the National Meteorological Service, parish disaster committees and sub-committees on emergency operations and damage assessment, the police, army, National Works Agency and the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM).
GUADELOUPE - A man loads provisions onto a car in Point-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe, yesterday, as preparations begin for the arrival of Hurricane Dean. Islanders went door-to-door to warn neighbours of Hurricane Dean, which spun toward the Caribbean packing 100 miles-per-hour winds and threatens to strengthen into an extremely dangerous storm by next week. (Photo: AP)
According to Jamaica House, the prime minister said that while it may be too early to determine the eventual course of the hurricane, it was important that all the necessary measures be put in place to minimise any possible effects, as well as ensure quick recovery should the island be impacted by Hurricane Dean.
In the meantime, the ODPEM last night activated its emergency response systems, asked all parish councils to be on the alert, and was ready to stock regional stores with relief supplies, in preparation of a possible hit from the hurricane.
The ODPEM's acting senior director for preparedness and emergency operations, Omar Afflick, told the Observer that various systems and mechanisms that have been used over the years would be put in place in preparation for the hurricane.
Afflick said, however, that while the number of shelter managers across the island have been increased, several community relief programmes have been bolstered, and a number of the emergency services were equipped with resources as a carry-over from the staging of Cricket World Cup in the island in April. He also said that several long- and short-term measures needed to be effected to ensure a continuous state of readiness.
"The country has prepared itself over a period of time... but there's need for consistent drain cleaning maintenance and a need for consistent river training so as to alleviate the effects of the incidence (of a hurricane)," he said. "We need to improve the capacity of our flood response teams to make them more self-sustained and proactive, and the agencies are in need of more equipment for swift water rescuing."
Meanwhile, charity organisation Food for the Poor said it has stock-piled food, blankets, mattresses, lanterns, first-aid items and other emergency supplies in preparation for the hurricane.
Also, the Child Development Agency (CDA) said it has activated its disaster preparedness plan with the acquisition of non-perishable food items, water, batteries, flashlight, prescription medicine, first-aid kits and battery-operated radios.
The CDA's chief executive officer, Alison Anderson, said that her team was taking several steps to ensure the safety of the more than 2,800 children in residential care and that by today the agency should be fully prepared to deal with any eventualities.
And as the country and the region braces for Hurricane Dean, Air Jamaica, the national airline, said it would allow passengers scheduled to travel to certain Caribbean destinations between August 17 and 24 to reschedule without being penalised. Passengers must, however, request a deferral from the airline before the original departure date, the airline said yesterday
Hurricane Dean Rips Through Caribbean By GUY ELLIS,AP Posted: 2007-08-17 11:34:46 Filed Under: Natural Disaster CASTRIES, St. Lucia (Aug. 17) - Hurricane Dean tore through the eastern Caribbean islands of St. Lucia and Martinique on Friday, ripping roofs from buildings, downing trees and knocking out power.
Brennan Linsley, AP Hurricane Dean rolls through Fort de France, Martinique, Friday. The storm hit Martinique and St. Lucia at the Category 2 level, with 100-mph winds tearing off roofs and downpours flooding towns.
Airports were closed, coastal hotels were evacuated and tourists hunkered down in shelters as 100 mph winds swept over the islands. The Category 2 storm was headed to Jamaica and by next week, when it is projected to reach Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula and Central America, it could strengthen into a dangerous Category 4 hurricane .
The eye of Dean, the first hurricane of the Atlantic season, passed between St. Lucia and Martinique, which are less than 50 miles apart, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said.
The winds tore off the roof of the children's ward at Victoria Hospital in Castries, the capital of St. Lucia. The patients had been evacuated and no injuries were reported.
St. Lucia state radio reported that flooding and wind-blown debris had turned the capital into "a total mess." Boulders that had been part of a sea wall were shoved onto roads by the force of storm surges. A boat also sat in the road, lifted off from the sea by the storm.
Radio and television advisories urged people to stock up on canned food and fill their cars with gasoline. Volunteers knocked on doors to make sure people knew about the storm.
With utility poles downed, the power company turned off electricity on the island to prevent anyone from being electrocuted.
At 8 a.m. EDT, Dean was centered about 50 miles west-southwest of Martinique and moving west at about 23 mph.
"We don't have a roof ... everything is exposed. We tried to save what we could," said Josephine Marcelus, a resident of Morne Rouge, a town in northern Martinique. "We sealed ourselves in one room, praying that the hurricane stops blowing over Martinique."
"I saw the roof of a municipal building fly off. This is a very hard thing to experience right now," said Louis Joseph Manscour, deputy mayor of Trinite on Martinique.
Laurent Bigot, director of a crisis team on the French island, warned people to stay inside.
It was too early to tell whether the storm would strike the United States, but officials were gearing up for the possibility. Texas was already dealing with the remnants of Tropical Storm Erin, which dropped up to 7 inches of rain in parts of San Antonio and Houston. Officials throughout central and southern Texas braced for 10 inches to 15 inches by Friday morning.
At least four people died Thursday in Erin's thunderstorms.
Shell Oil Co. evacuated 188 people this week from offshore facilities in Erin's path and said Thursday that it was monitoring Dean.
Martinique officials set up cots at schoolhouse shelters while residents lined up at gas stations and emptied supermarket shelves.
"It's the first time I've seen this, all our water supply completely gone in less than two hours," said Jean Claude, a supermarket manager.
The National Hurricane Center said Dean would likely be a Category 3 hurricane by the time it reaches the central Caribbean. Forecasters said it appeared Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands would be spared the brunt of Dean's winds.
Dean could get closer to the Dominican Republic and Haiti, which share the island of Hispaniola. As it approaches Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula and Central America on Tuesday it could be a Category 4 hurricane, the hurricane center said. But forecasters always warn that their intensity predictions can be inaccurate that far in advance.
Forecasters predicted storm surge flooding at 2 to 4 feet above normal tide levels near the center of Dean as it passes over the Lesser Antilles and total possible rainfalls of 10 inches in mountainous areas.
At 8 a.m. EDT, hurricane warnings were in effect for the islands of St. Lucia, Martinique, Dominica and Guadeloupe.
Tropical storm warnings have been issued for the U.S. Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Antigua and Barbuda, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, Anguilla and St. Maarten and Grenada. The warnings were canceled for Barbados, St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
On Dominica, just north of Martinique, winds that howled through groves and homes damaged much of the banana crop, one of the island's main exports.
About 300 American medical students from Dominica's Ross University arrived in Puerto Rico after their families hired private planes, said Dr. Mauricio Gomez, from the UCLA Medical Center in California, whose fiancee was among the students.
At the Jungle Bay Resort & Spa, on Dominica's Atlantic coast, about 18 guests spent Thursday night in a reinforced steel-and-concrete shelter, hotel spokeswoman Laura Ell said.
"Everyone's very calm but taking it seriously," she said.
Taken from aol.com
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South Floridians for Asafa
From the Met Service …August 19, 2007 @ 5:00 a.m. BULLETIN No. 13
*** HURRICANE DEAN PRESSING TOWARDS JAMAICAN WATERS… HURRICANE WARNING STILL IN EFFECT***
The Meteorological Service has maintained the HURRICANE WARNING for Jamaica as Hurricane Dean continues towards the island while moving south of Haiti. This means that dangerous effects of a hurricane are still expected to affect Jamaica within 24 hours.
At 4:00 a.m. the centre of Hurricane Dean was located near Latitude 16.6 degrees North, Longitude 73.4 degrees West. This is about 250 km (155 miles) south-southwest of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, or 330 km (205 miles) east-southeast of Morant Point, Jamaica.
Dean is moving towards the west-northwest near 30 km/h (18 mph) and this general motion is expected to continue during the next 24 hours.
Maximum sustained winds remain near 230 km/h (145 mph), with higher gusts, making Dean a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. Fluctuations in strength are likely to occur today. Hurricane force winds extend outward approximately 95 km (60 miles), while tropical storm force winds extend 335 km (205 miles) from the centre.
Satellite imagery indicates that spiral bands associated with the hurricane should shortly begin to spread across the island, starting with eastern parishes. Residents can expect increasing rainfall this morning along with gusty winds rapidly reaching tropical-storm strength. Severe flash-flooding and landslides are likely to occur across the country.
Based on the current official forecast track, the eye of Hurricane Dean is expected to begin moving over the waters just south of Jamaica early this afternoon and then follow a path adjacent to the coastline throughout the rest of the day. During this period, hurricane-force winds are likely to be experienced by most of the island, generating dangerous storm surges and battering waves along coastal areas of mainly southern parishes.
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South Floridians for Asafa
The Jamaica National Building Society (JNBS) has made available the following telephone lines so that persons living overseas can stay informed during the passage and aftermath of Hurricane Dean: United Kingdom
0207 708 6670 0207 708 6672
United States 954 535 5761 954 535 5762
Meanwhile this toll free number has been made available courtesy of People’s Telecom: 1 866 546 5106
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South Floridians for Asafa
Well I have been really busy but I had to find time to wish all the forumties who reside within Jamaica or are on their holidays... or vacation if yu yankee, a safe passage thru the next two weeks..
If Portia or Bruce nuh get yu... Dean must touch yu !!!
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They make the world so hard
The south coast St.Elizabeth- Black River area, Manchester, Clarendon-Vere,May Pen etc, are getting some rain and powerful winds....Go to Google Earth and you can see live animation..
Talk to mi bredda and him say that the eye pass kingston for a little while now. Although the hills and mountains are still getting gusts up to 60 or 70 miles per hour, the wind has subsided in low lying places.
Him say it dark and people are staying inside where he is so him nuh know the extent of the damage yet. Him house alright although a window in a neighbor's house blow out b/c of the pressure inside a her house. But God is good b/c they have no loss of life reported yet and though there are floods and impassable roads, those areas are by river banks and tghose closest to the sea. Futhermore, those in the Northwest...Westmoreland, Mo-bay, St. Mary, St. Ann and Sav appear to be OK.
A bredrin in a the JDF just ring me back and say that the JDF has dispatched troops to help clear roads already in a Kingston, St. Thomas and St. Andrew. No reports of looting or political misbehavior although him say people accussing shelters of being political. Him say that is just people no want to be in the same shelter is not the shelter managers turing back people. Him also say that a suprising amount of cars on the road.
No water or light in most areas but cell phone and plenty land lines available. Dem still a wait fi flash flooding though apparently b/c some areas dem expect fi flood nuh really food yet.
