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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...

The National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) has indicated that the cost to make the island clean again, after the ravages of Hurricane Dean, would be enormous. "I am not going to put a number out there to the public, because we are still doing the work, but it is still going to cost a considerable amount of resources to...

The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) has created an information desk for persons, who wish to donate relief supplies to the organization. Ronald Jackson, Director General of ODPEM, told JIS News on (Aug. 22) that the information desk, which is now operational, will be manned by an information officer. "We have already begun to receive pledges. Persons...

The Ministry of Health is reporting that an intensive vector control programme is currently underway, following the passage of Hurricane Dean, which has resulted in a pile-up of debris and the accumulation of stagnant water. Speaking with JIS News, Director of Emergency, Disaster Management and Special Services in the Ministry, Dr. Marion Bullock-DuCasse, noted that the programme would be extended...

Following preliminary investigation of the agricultural sector in Manchester, it has been revealed that ground provisions such as yam, irish potatoes and vegetables are among the severely affected crops in the parish, as a result of Hurricane Dean. Speaking with JIS News, Neville Burrell, Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS) Parish Manager for Manchester, said that some 80 acres of yam have...

The Trelawny branch of the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) is currently assessing the hurricane damage to crops in the parish, with the objective of helping farmers to replant. "The agricultural sector, especially in the southern area, was most affected by Hurricane Dean. Our yam farmers and those farmers who cultivate plantains and bananas had tremendous problems," Parish Manager for...

President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Air Jamaica, Michael Conway, has praised the airline's staff for their performance in the aftermath of Hurricane Dean. "The staff has been putting in a great effort, even though they themselves were not spared by Hurricane Dean," said the CEO in an interview with JIS News, today (Aug. 23). "The national carrier has...

All the shelters that were opened in Trelawny prior to the passage of Hurricane Dean, have been closed. Parish Disaster Co-ordinator, Dion Hylton-Lewis, told JIS News that a total of 30 shelters were opened to accommodate persons who might be affected by the hurricane, but to date all 30 shelters are closed. She said that the Trelawny Parish Disaster Committee...