THE Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) yesterday got assistance from the Jamaica Defence Force in having food airlifted to residents marooned in five communities in St Thomas, as heavy rainfall associated with Tropical Storm Noel continued to pound the island.

Last night, Ronald Jackson, the ODPEM’s director general, told the Observer that the rain had delayed the effort, however, the food was being loaded into the helicopter “as we speak”.

“The visibility and the rain earlier delayed the airlift, but the aircraft is currently being packed with food to leave now. By 6:00 pm they should be on their way,” Jackson said.

The food, which included rice, flour, canned food items and water went to residents of Mount Vernon, Moffat, Jones Pen, Johnson Mountain and Spring Back.

At the same time, Jackson said a shelter at Tavern Community Centre in St Andrew remained open with three occupants, while another three shelters in St Thomas were put on alert to accommodate persons whose homes were threatened by flood waters.

“We have shelters on stand-by in the event persons become displaced during the course of tonight into tomorrow,” Jackson said last night.

The rains, which have been affecting the island all week could continue into tomorrow as the flash flood warning for all parishes was extended this morning.

“Cloudy conditions are expected to persist, with outbreaks of showers and thunderstorms tonight and tomorrow, especially across eastern parishes,” the Met Service said in its evening report yesterday.

“There should be some gradual reduction in rainfall across Jamaica and its territorial waters, after Sunday,” said the Met Service.

The rains, according to the Met Service, were from a surface trough induced by Hurricane Noel, which late yesterday was located 450 km west of Bermuda, after a deadly trail that left more than 100 people dead in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.