Assessments Being Undertaken to Determine Impact of Quake

State agencies continue to carry out assessments to fully determine the impact of the 5.6 magnitude earthquake, which affected sections of the island on Monday (Oct. 30).

A meeting of the National Disaster Response Committee will convene Tuesday morning (Oct. 31) to further evaluate the country’s disaster preparedness and emergency response, among other things.

Speaking at a press conference at Jamaica House this afternoon, Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, said preliminary reports indicate that there has been no major dislocation from the earthquake.

“So far, the reports that we have received suggest that we have had some damages, but we wouldn’t classify these as significant to have caused any significant dislocation,” he noted, while urging operators and managers of facilities to engage professional services to carry out the necessary infrastructure assessments.

Chief Executive Officer of the National Works Agency (NWA), EG Hunter, indicated that government entities and other institutions have requested the services of the agency to undertake infrastructure evaluations.

He explained that rapid assessments are done initially before more in-depth analysis is undertaken.

Mr. Hunter urged Jamaicans to be vigilant as the country continues to experience aftershocks.

“The earthquake process is ongoing so we should all be at an elevated sense of preparedness in the event of any other occurrences,” he cautioned.
Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport Minister, Hon. Daryl Vaz, for his part, reported that electricity has been restored to the island and that operations continue at the airports.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister is urging parents and guardians to speak to their children about natural disasters and the steps they should take to protect themselves.

He noted that the experience of the earthquake has been very traumatic particularly for young children.

The tremor occurred at approximately 10:57 am when schools were in session.

The Prime Minister is further advising schools and institutions across the public and private sectors to appoint safety wardens.

“You should be carrying out your drills and be prepared,” he pointed out.

He encouraged persons to get their information from reputable sources and implored those spreading misinformation and making prank calls to emergency services to desist.

“Some people may think it’s funny…that it’s entertainment; but it has a real impact in that it misdirects resources that could have been used to properly identify, assess and give service to people who are in need,” he pointed out.

Prime Minister Holness said that the country has a very well-developed disaster response mechanism and is urging citizens to have confidence in the system.

“We can’t stop these natural events from happening but we must be resilient, we must be prepared.

“Your government is strong, our public response is strong and we’re a resilient country, so let’s get back to work, mindful that disasters do happen and we have to be prepared for it,” he said.