ST JAMES, Jamaica (JIS) — Residents of Montego Bay, St James, whose houses and other belongings were destroyed by the flood that swept through sections of the city on November 22, have received assistance from the Government.

Minister of Labour and Social Security, Shahine Robinson, presented cheques to the first set of 80 recipients on December 22, at the temporary Montego Bay regional offices of the ministry on Cottage Road.

“Over 150 persons were affected. We had to send back some of them to get their Taxpayer Registration Number (TRN) as they were incorrect, or we never got a TRN for them,” Robinson explained.

“We know that the money can’t buy back everything that you lost, but we are making an effort,” she told the gathering.

The flooding resulted from excessively heavy rains, estimated at 3.5 inches, which lashed the city for about four hours. Several roadways were blocked for hours and extensive damage was done to private and public properties. Many residents living on William Street, King Street, Norwood, Dome Street and other areas were impacted.

During a tour of the affected sections of the city on November 23, Prime Minister Andrew Holness, promised that in addition to a $20-million emergency allocation from the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development, he would convene a meeting with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security to come up with further support in order to ensure that persons, particularly homeowners, were given assistance.

In an interview with JIS News following the presentation, Robinson said representatives of the ministry are continuing their fieldwork to collect the relevant TRNs, so that the remaining 70 persons will get assistance.

“The Ministry of Labour and Social Security stands ready to do its part in times of emergencies like this,” she said.