THE more than 120 people who sought shelter at the National Arena in St Andrew on Monday and Tuesday were in for a pleasant surprise when lunch was provided by Mystic Thai restaurant on both days.

The restaurant, which serves a tapestry of Asia’s greatest culinary delights, stretching across Japan, India, and modern China, provided the meals without fanfare.

“We are extremely grateful to this private sector entity [Mystic Thai] which just came with lunch for all the staff and the people here,” one of the shelter managers, Helene Wilkinson, told the Jamaica Observer as heavy rain and wind from Hurricane Melissa lashed the Corporate Area Tuesday afternoon.

According to Wilkinson, that was a bright spark for the people in the shelter, some of whom were worried about Melissa’s possible impact on their homes and the country.

“As the wind, the rain and the hurricane is now here the people are really stressed out,” added Wilkinson.

She noted that personnel from the Ministry of Health and Wellness visited the shelter and administered tests while a medical team was scheduled to visit and provide support for those in need of medication and others who might need psychological support “Because you also need to do discharge planning to orient people to going home and what they have to face because they are going to be on their own after as the shelter is just a temporary place”.

Shortly before Melissa made landfall on Tuesday, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Desmond McKenzie told a media briefing at the National Emergency Operations Centre based at the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) in New Kingston that more than 6,000 Jamaicans had taken refuge in 382 of the island’s more than 800 shelters.

At that time McKenzie expressed most concern about residents of St Elizabeth — which was in the cross hairs of Melissa — and based on reports after the hurricane made landfall Tuesday afternoon, has suffered severe damage.

“St Elizabeth is of concern because I am understanding that we were getting calls before we came on air of persons in St Elizabeth asking for transportation to be sent into various communities to transport persons out of those areas.

“It is going to be difficult. I have given instructions to the ODPEM director and the team to advise the disaster coordinators and the Members of Parliament and the mayors, wherever transportation is needed …they should do everything that is possible to provide the transportation to get the people out,” said McKenzie.

“But the system that we have had [to evacuate people], those systems have been put on hold now because of the closeness of the system,” added McKenzie less than two hours before Melissa made landfall.

At 9:00 am Tuesday only 289 people had sought refuge in the 26 shelters which were open in St Elizabeth.

McKenzie’s 9:00 am update on Tuesday showed

Kingston and St Andrew — 45 shelters, 581 occupants

Clarendon — 39 shelters with more than 865

Westmoreland — 33 shelters with more than 500

St Mary — 27 shelters and more than 500 residents

Portmore, St Catherine — eight shelters accommodating 24 people

The rest of St Catherine — 27 shelters and 394 residents

St Thomas — 18 shelters and 609 occupants

Manchester — 23 shelters with 125 occupants

St Ann — 18 shelters – zero occupants

Hanover — 19 shelters and more than 260 residents

St James — 30 shelters and 209 people

Trelawny — 10 shelters housing 313 residents

Portland — 59 shelters accommodating 54 people

This man was one of the individuals who moved into the shelter at the National Arena on Monday as Hurricane Melissa took aim at Jamaica.

People who sought shelter at the National Arena and volunteers were treated to lunch by the upscale Mystic Thai restaurant.