LUCEA, Hanover — Mayor of Lucea Sheridan Samuels is raising alarm about the worsening economic crisis facing several residents of the parish following the passage of Hurricane Melissa last October, with major hotel closures leaving hundreds of workers jobless and families struggling to survive.

Addressing the monthly meeting of the Hanover Municipal Corporation on Thursday, Samuels painted a grim picture of a parish on the brink of social collapse.

He expressed grave concern about the scaling down operation and temporary closure of several properties that form part of the backbone of the economy in Hanover.

“The crisis is no longer just a matter of lost revenue, it has taken a devastating personal toll,” said Samuels as he recounted an encounter with a former resident manager who received a redundancy letter from one of the impacted hotels.

“A person with tears in his eyes…and he is wondering where he is going from here,” Samuels told meeting as he underscored the uncertainty facing those who once held stable positions in the tourism industry.

“We are very concerned about the impact of this developing situation on the lives of the people of Hanover,” Samuels added.

He pointed out that some major resorts, including the Royalton properties have closed their doors, while the Princess Grand Jamaica in Green Island is shuttered and scheduled to reopen later in the year following renovation.

Samuels questioned whether the Government is adequately tracking the crisis and if plans are in place to cushion the blow for residents of Hanover.

According to Samuels, the closure of the hotels has rippled through the parish, affecting families at every level.

“We have also noted a growing trend, especially since the hurricane, where many individuals are abandoning their loved ones at the hospital and increasing the number of social cases.

“If you can’t support yourself, you can’t support the family them any more. They take them to the hospital and leave them there because the Government has to take care of them,” said Samuels as he added that he has been distributing care packages as far as Logwood in the parish to meet the immediate needs of residents.

Samuels pointed out that while schools have reopened, many families remain homeless and unable to feed themselves.

“These are the things that are happening. Children [are] to go to school and they can’t go to school because the parents probably work in the tourism industry. They have no jobs,” said Samuels whose concerns were shared by Member of Parliament for Hanover Western, the People’s National Party’s Heatha Miller Bennett and head of the Hanover Police Division Superintendent Andrew Nish.