BOG WALK, St Catherine - The Church of God of Prophecy in Church Road district along the Bog Walk bypass, and about three houses in close proximity, were nearly covered by flood water following heavy rains associated with Hurricane Dennis. (Photo: Karl McLarty)

HUNDREDS of people remained in shelters yesterday as the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) carried out an assessment of damage caused by heavy rains associated with Hurricane Dennis, which swept the island's north-eastern shores on Thursday.

Nearly 2,000 people had fled their homes to shelters on Thursday afternoon, as heavy rains lashed the island yesterday resulting in flooding in several communities. Overnight rains also forced several more to evacuate their homes.

Last night, the ODPEM confirmed that several persons were still housed at disaster shelters across the island, but could not, at the time, give a definitive figure as to how many persons remained there.

Earlier in the day, the National Meteorological Service lifted the hurricane warning for Jamaica, but forecasted more heavy showers and thunderstorms for the island even as Hurricane Dennis strengthened and moved further away and lashed sections of Cuba.

No. It is not a river. Residents of 11 Miles in Bull Bay are actually trying to make their way along the flooded main road in the community, yesterday. The water came from the overflowing Chalky River and the Vershan gully in Taylor Land. (Photo: Joseph Wellington)

Meanwhile, Mayor of Kingston Desmond McKenzie yesterday called on the government to declare flooded areas in East Rural St Andrew disaster zones, saying the damage caused by Hurricane Dennis was "catastrophic".

The areas of Bull Bay, Nine and Eleven Miles, Taylor Land and Shooters Hill were severely affected by floodwaters, he said.

According to Mayor McKenzie, a nearby river had swallowed up many homes, leaving residents with "no place to go, no shelter and no food".

Yesterday, the mayor wrote to Prime Minister P J Patterson inviting him on a joint tour to assess damage to the affected areas.

These two youngsters eat guineps while making their way along the flooded road in 11 Miles, Bull Bay. (Photo: Joseph Wellington)

The request, the mayor said, was a follow-up to a previous invitation to the prime minister.

"I am also making a second appeal to you to join me on a tour of the Corporate Area or, at least, the most seriously affected sections to get a first-hand look at the situation so that you can fully understand the threat that exists to the lives and property of thousands of Jamaicans living in these flood-threatened areas," McKenzie wrote in the letter.

He told the prime minister that the current problem in the Corporate Area "is no longer one that the KSAC can manage".

In the meantime, the National Works Agency (NWA) said it received 230 reports of damaged roads, 89 of which were related to roads blocked by landslips, boulders and fallen trees, while more than 30 were inundated.

Yesterday, the NWA's acting director of communications, Petra-Kene Williams, said among the affected roads were the Mavis Bank Road and the Irish Town to Newcastle Road in rural St Andrew.

The Bog Walk Gorge was inundated up to late yesterday evening and motorists were re-routed to alternative routes in Sligoville and Barry.

Up to yesterday, the Yallahs Fording remained impassable and the alternative route, the Islington Bridge, could only accommodate large vehicles.

By midday yesterday, national carrier Air Jamaica had resumed most of its afternoon flights out of the island, but announced that it had cancelled flights to Havana, Cuba and Grand Cayman as Hurricane Dennis strengthened and threatened the Caribbean neighbours.

All flights into the island, except those from Chicago, were also resumed yesterday.

Meanwhile, the Jamaica Urban Transit Corporation began limited operations on some routes and said it would resume full operations as soon as the weather and conditions of the roads improve.

The National Water Commission (NWC), said several of its water supply systems, particularly those in eastern parishes, were affected by the heavy rains.

According to the NWC, 114 of its 460 water supply system were "confirmed to either not be operating or not operating at normal capacity" up until late yesterday.

"This is as a result of a combination of problems brought on by the hurricane," the NWC said.
But the NWC said it would, in the shortest possible time, try to return the water supplies back to normal.

The Jamaica Public Service (JPS), on the other hand, said it was conducting damage assessment and carrying out work to restore service to approximately 50,000 customers who were still without electricity supply.

According to the light and power company, the storm affected the supplies of approximately 100,000 of its customers, but it was able to restore supplies to at least half of those affected.

"It is estimated that approximately 50,000 customers are still without service, primarily in the most badly affected parishes of St Thomas, Portland, St Mary, St Catherine and St Andrew," the JPS said.

Yesterday, the JPS said it had deployed restoration crews to "continue work in the affected communities", but said works in some areas were being hampered by landslides and damaged roads.

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