Copyright jamaica-gleaner
Unless it is necessary, Jamaicans are urged not to venture into western parishes hit hard by Hurricane Melissa as the influx is causing heavy traffic, which has been slowing down official emergency response. St Elizabeth, Trelawny, Westmoreland, St James, St Mary, and St Ann are among the parishes suffering devastating impacts from the hurricane, including homelessness, corpse recovery, power outages, and other perils. Jamaicans from other parishes have reportedly been bombarding the roadways, making their way to relatives whom they have either not heard from or who are in desperate need of emergency supplies, food, and shelter. Information Minister Dana Morris Dixon visited St Elizabeth yesterday evening with representatives from the Jamaica Red Cross and other aid entities, and despite the best efforts of the Jamaica Defence Force, she said, getting aid to those who need it was tedious. “The problem is there is traffic, significant traffic, on both sides of the road, and it is preventing very important aid and assistance from getting to where they are needed. We also have medics with us who are trying to get to those who may be injured, and we are struggling to get through the traffic. “If you do not have to go down, please do not go down. We passed one area where people stopped on the side of the road to take pictures. It is not a time to take pictures. We need to make sure that we can get teams to go down and help,” she said, explaining that while she understands the frustration of relatives trying to reach loved ones they have not been able communicate with, bombarding the area only makes things worse. She urged relatives to carpool if it is absolutely necessary that they venture into the affected areas, as heavy traffic was also reported from Mammee Bay to Drax Hall in St Ann, and in sections of Montego Bay in St James over the weekend. Yesterday, St Catherine resident Ann-Marie Jenkins was undaunted by reports of heavy traffic and badly damaged roadways as she ventured out to locate and assist a relative in Montego Bay. Ironically, Jenkins and nine other relatives did not make it to St James with the cooked food and other supplies they had. Moved by the devastation they witnessed in Martha Brae and other areas in Trelawny, they decided to give the food to persons sheltering at the Holland High School in Falmouth, and at the William Knibb High, which, although badly damaged, still served as a shelter to several people, she said. “To be honest, I didn’t even get to reach my relative, but luckily we had gotten in touch and he was alright. But on the way, the place was just completely in shambles, and when we went to Holland and spoke to the shelter manager, she said that they didn’t have any food. So we just started sharing the food right there,” she explained. While she understands the implications of the influx on traffic, noting that her family did not experience much traffic on their journey yesterday, they were moved to contribute out of the goodness of their hearts. Nickeylee Simpson, who also ventured into Trelawny, said there was not much traffic going down, but it was challenging coming back up. She and three relatives went to visit a cousin in Clarke’s Town. “The roof of her restaurant blew off. Inside the cooking and dining area, the goods are spoiling because, as you know, there is no light down there. “She is stressed even though the deep freeze still has some stuff frozen. By tomorrow, you know the ice will go down, so eventually they are going to spoil,” she feared. On the weekend, Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness announced that 28 people had been confirmed dead in Jamaica as a result of Hurricane Melissa, and hinted that the figure could rise. In addition to traffic gridlock, roads blocked by sand, silt, and other debris continue to hinder access to the areas. Medical experts also cautioned the public about possible viral outbreaks in these hard-hit areas, noting that an influx of persons into the area could exacerbate the possible health implications to come. corey.robinson@gleanerjm.com
