St. James Municipal Corporation Rolls Out Disaster Preparedness Rehabilitation Strategy

The St. James Municipal Corporation has initiated its Disaster Preparedness Rehabilitation Strategy, which focuses on the distribution of welfare items to residents severely impacted by Hurricane Beryl.

Parish Coordinator for Disaster Preparedness, Tamoy Sinclair, announced the commencement of the welfare distribution process while addressing the Corporation’s Disaster Preparedness, Hazard Mitigation and Safety Committee meeting on Thursday (July 18).

This was slated for Thursday, July 18 and Friday, July 19 in the communities of Johns Hall, Niagara, Anchovy, Orange Hill and Stonehenge in St. James, where 78 persons were identified by the parish’s Health and Welfare Subcommittee for assistance.

Ms. Sinclair said residents in those areas “would have suffered significant loss of their homes, roof damage [and] complete structural damage, and so we are working assiduously to provide support”.

As such, welfare packages, comprising mattresses, tarpaulins, food and personal care items were prepared for the persons impacted.

Ms. Sinclair advised that on completion of the exercise, “we will move on to phase two and focus on the other… divisions that were not as significantly impacted”.

The project is being supported by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, the St. James Public Health and Poor Relief Departments, and Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), with additional input from the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) and Food For the Poor.