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Some 3,800 farmers in St. James have suffered losses as a result of Hurricane Dean, with approximately 640 hectares (1,600 acres) of fruit and vegetable crops valued at more than $64 million destroyed. Preliminary estimates from the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) reveal that more than 80 per cent of banana cultivation in the southern sections of the parish was...

Areas Impacted The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) is reporting that over the past two days at least 10 initial damage assessment field visits, coordinated by the ODPEM, have been undertaken in the parishes of St Catherine, Clarendon, Manchester, St. Elizabeth and Kingston and St. Andrew. The teams consisted of representatives of donor agencies and were led...

The general election, which was previously scheduled for Monday, August 27, 2007 will now be held on Monday, September 3, 2007. In a proclamation released today (August 24) by Governor-General, His Excellency, the Most Hon. Professor Kenneth Hall, it is stated that in light of the passage across Jamaica of Hurricane Dean on August 19 and the consequent damage and...

Under our Constitution, the Governor-General may issue a Proclamation declaring a State of Public Emergency in certain instances. For example, where a hurricane is about to strike or has struck, the Prime Minister may advise the Governor General to issue such a Proclamation, specifically for the purposes of the protection and the preservation of life and property. This is to...

WHEREAS by Proclamation made on the 24th day of July, 2007, and published in the Gazette on the 24th day of July, 2007, in exercise of the powers conferred upon me by subsection (1) of section 65 of the Constitution of Jamaica and subsection (1) of the section 19 of the Representation of the People Act, I appointed Monday the...

In the wake of Hurricane Dean, which made landfall in Jamaica on Sunday, August 19, 2007, The American Friends of Jamaica (AFJ), a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting Jamaican charitable and social initiatives, responds to the needs of Jamaican citizens with the A Thousand Roofs of Love in partnership with Missionaries of the Poor, led by Father Richard Ho Lung....

President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Air Jamaica, Michael Conway, noting the invaluable service being provided by the national airline, said that "if Jamaica did not have a national airline, the situation after Hurricane Dean would have been a lot worse." "We flew more extra sections than any other airline," Mr. Conway told JIS News in an interview, noting...

The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) is reporting that to date a total of 130 communities in 12 parishes have been affected by the passage of Hurricane Dean. Of this number three communities have been affected by landslide, eight by storm surge, 98 by wind, one by wind and flooding, 17 by wind and landslide, 3 by...

This is to advise all persons having business at the Corporate Area Coroner's Court, that this Court will be relocated from 79 Duke Street, Kingston, to the Corporate Area, Civil Resident Magistrates' Court, Sutton Street, Kingston, as of Monday, August 27, 2007.

Residents of Pleasant Hill, St. Mary now have a community centre, which was built by the Social Development Commission (SDC) and residents at a cost of $4 million. The centre, which was officially opened last week, will also serve a number of surrounding communities including Baxter's Mountain, Long Road, Fort George and Camberwell. State Minister for Local Government and the...

Commanding Officer for the Spanish Town Police Division, Superintendent Harry Daley, has said that there have been no reports of looting in the community prior to, during and after the passage of Hurricane Dean. According to Superintendent Daley, this achievement was possible as a result of the hard work undertaken by the police in conjunction with members of the Island...

The Jamaica Public Service Company (JPSCo) has ruled out running its electricity transmission lines underground. Speaking with JIS News, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Damian Obligio, said that to build underground lines would cost seven to 10 times the cost of the overhead lines. Maintaining that overhead lines remained the best option, despite Jamaica's location in an area frequently...