Minister of Local Government, Desmond McKenzie, says he has been informed by the Mayor of Falmouth, Colin Gager, that the old, historic town was all but destroyed by Hurricane Melissa which slammed into Jamaica on Tuesday as a category five monster storm.

McKenzie told a media briefing on Friday that after days of trying to make contact with Gager, he finally did and the information relayed by the mayor is heartbreaking.

“It is not a pretty reading coming out of Falmouth, out of Trelawny especially,” said McKenzie.

He said, “The municipal building has been destroyed, the infirmary destroyed, the roads and works department destroyed, the courthouse destroyed, the Falmouth market badly damaged, the poor relief office badly damaged, the disaster office badly damaged, the fire station badly damaged, both markets in Falmouth severely impacted and the drop-in centre that was used to house persons during the hurricane has been flooded out and is not fit for purpose as I speak…”.

In St James, McKenzie said the municipal building was severely damaged, the infirmary lost its roof and the walkway was destroyed.

“In St Elizabeth, the municipal building, the infirmary, the fire station – all the markets in St Elizabeth have been severely damaged by the passage of the hurricane” said McKenzie.

He told the media briefing that the five worst affected parishes – St Elizabeth, Westmoreland, St James, Trelawny and Hanover have no access to communication. As such, he said the authorities will be providing mayors and the municipalities with Starlink in those parishes to ensure they have some level of communication.

And, with the revenue base of the municipal corporations severely impacted by the hurricane, an assessment is being done “to see how we are going to be able to cushion that fallout as it relates to the revenue base of the municipalities”.