PORTLAND, Jamaica – The early impact of Hurricane Melissa has forced the opening of 52 of the 74  shelters across Portland, with 295 occupants.

On Sunday, some road included Cascade and Birnamwood in the Buff Bay Valley and Bellevue in the Rio Grande Valley, were blocked due to landslides.Those  roads were however later cleared.

A fallen tree and a utility pole had also  blocked Sommers Lane in Port Antonio.

There were high waves and wind in the Manchioneal area, forcing some people to seek shelter at the Manchioneal Primary School.

A breakdown of people in shelters in the parish  up to late Monday evening shows 107 adult females, 99 adult males, 48 female children, and 41 male children.

Some areas are without electricity, including Islington, Boston, Fairy Hill, and a section of Norwich Heights.

In the Buff Bay Valley, Bring Back The Love Buff Bay Valley Foundation is assisting some of the shelters in the valley with care packages. These shelters are at Charles Town, Tranquillity, Birnamwood, Cascade, Avocat, and the Woodstock Housing Scheme.

President of the foundation, Cassandra Bennett, told the Observer Online, “The government, through the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, gives out care packages to the sheltered, and sometimes these packages are late, hence we provide them with packages now so that they get some essential items now. We also assist persons who cannot go to the shelter at Mullet Hall, Shantamae, and Station. Some are shut-ins, and some have lost their vision,” she disclosed.

Currently, the weather in the parish is overcast with intermittent drizzles and low winds.

– Everard Owen