The National Works Agency (NWA) continues to work to clear blocked roads in the parishes of St. James, Westmoreland, Hanover and Trelawny. In an interview with JIS News, Community Relations Officer at the NWA’s Western Office, Janel Ricketts, said there has been damage to roads in the parishes due to the passage of Hurricane Beryl. “Several roadways have been damaged...

Jamaicans are being urged to support each other as communities recover from the impact of Hurricane Beryl. Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, in making the call, said that while the Government has a very important role to play in times of disaster, “never forget that it is the community first that has this duty to protect itself and the...

The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) and its partner agencies have commenced initial damage assessments of sections of the island damaged by Hurricane Beryl. Acting Director General, Richard Thompson, told JIS News that information received by the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) indicates that some homes and public infrastructure have sustained damage resulting from flooding and storm...

The Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) is recommending that farmers use systemic pesticides, in anticipation of increases in moisture and rainfall. Senior Plant Health and Food Safety Officer with RADA, Ms. Francine Webb, told JIS News that unlike contact pesticides, systemic pesticides work through ingestion by the plant. “Once you are anticipating increased moisture with increased rainfall, from your hurricane...

More than 50 shelter managers and key stakeholders across St. Elizabeth gathered to discuss strategies to safeguard communities against disaster, during a Shelter Management Conference held in Santa Cruz on Wednesday (June 26). Held under the theme ‘Be Disaster Aware: Plan, Mitigate and Prepare’, the event focused on readiness, community engagement and the vital role that shelter managers play in...

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says the Government is looking to quickly complete assessments of damage sustained across Jamaica from Hurricane Beryl’s passage in order to effect the requisite responses. “We are now in the disaster response phase, and this is the first phase, which is the assessment. We want to wrap up the assessments quickly and then...

We are very fortunate that Hurricane Beryl did not make landfall in Jamaica as the trajectory of the centre of the hurricane Beryl passed 45 miles south of Kingston and continued just off Jamaica’s south coast. Though there was significant damage in sections of the island, in many other parts, including much of Kingston, the ackees and mangoes remain on...