Communities in St. Thomas Receive Supplies from ODPEM

The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) is distributing food supplies, blankets and other comfort items to communities in St. Thomas which are inaccessible by vehicle following the recent heavy rains.
Regional Coordinator of ODPEM’s Eastern Region Sophia Mitchell told JIS News that food supplies were airlifted over the weekend to a number of communities, including Johnson Mountain, Mt. Vernon, Richmond Vale and the Mt. Lebanus areas. Food supplies were also sent to residents in Rolandsfield, Jones Pen and sections of Cedar Valley in the parish.
“We hope to assist the communities of Hagley Gap and Penlyne Castle throughout the course of this week as well as we will be giving assistance to communities which fall within the Llandewey, Cedar Valley areas as well,” she said.
Ms. Mitchell said the ODPEM will be concentrating on those communities which were cut off as a result of blocked roadways due to land slippage and the overflowing of rivers.
St. Thomas Parish Disaster Coordinator Millicent Blake said that she was being kept up-to-date with conditions in the isolated communities by contact persons and chairpersons of various groups.
“There are some areas where we have contact persons whom we communicate with from time to time for credible reports as to what is the situation in various communities,” she said, stating that contact persons would also be assisting with the distribution of food and other supplies in their areas.
The disaster coordinator also praised the assistance she has been receiving from agencies within the parish. She singled out the Yallahs Fire Department which had participated in a rescue operation for one family in Logwood who had been threatened by rising water from a river near their home.