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St. Mary residents urged to prepare for Tomas

November 4, 2010

The Full Story

Residents of St. Mary have been urged to make the necessary preparation to ensure the safety of their families and their homes, with the imminent threat from Tropical Depression Tomas.
Speaking to JIS News on November 3, Mayor of Port Maria, Councillor Richard Creary, said although drains in the parish were cleaned recently, plans are in place to carry out additional drain cleaning today and tomorrow in areas such as Frontier and Annotto Bay, which are prone to flooding.
He reported that at an inter-agency Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) meeting, held in the parish on November 2, all agencies were sensitised and should be in a state of readiness for the likely impact of Tropical Depression Tomas. “The shelters have also been provided with the basic necessities that they need”, he said.
The Mayor said that the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) has informed that it has an adequate supply of emergency items to assist the parishes of Portland, St. Mary and St. Ann.
Additionally, other agencies such as the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, the Salvation Army and the Red Cross are all in a “state of readiness” to help, he added.
Pointing out that the most vulnerable areas in the parish are Port Maria, Bottom Albany, Annotto Bay and Broadgate, Mayor Creary said the National Works Agency (NWA) will be pre-positioning some heavy equipment in critical areas, such as the Junction main road, which is prone to landslides.
He is calling on residents to keep abreast of the various bulletins and advisories. “Don’t wait until you are trapped in your community, as you have enough time to move out and get to somewhere safe,” he advised.
The Mayor said vulnerable communities will be informed by town criers if evacuation becomes necessary.

Last Updated: August 13, 2013

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