assessment of the socio-economic and environmental impact
assessment of the socio-economic and environmental impact
assessment of the socio-economic and environmental impact
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
expected for <strong>the</strong> month <strong>of</strong> August. O<strong>the</strong>r stations reporting in excess <strong>of</strong> 100% <strong>of</strong> normal rainfall<br />
were: Kingston & St. Andrew; Norman Manley International Airport (130.2 mm or 161% <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
normal for August); New Yarmouth in Clarendon 158% <strong>and</strong> Monymusk in Clarendon 117%.<br />
Windsor Park in St. Ca<strong>the</strong>rine received (127%) <strong>of</strong> normal rainfall expected for <strong>the</strong> month <strong>of</strong><br />
August.<br />
The maximum 24 hour rainfall amounts associated with <strong>the</strong> passage <strong>of</strong> Hurricane Dean was 133.4<br />
mm (see Appendix 4). In general, no significant flooding was associated with <strong>the</strong> passage <strong>of</strong><br />
Hurricane Dean. This may be attributed to <strong>the</strong> fact that Hurricane Dean was traveling quite<br />
quickly as it moved <strong>of</strong>fshore <strong>the</strong> south coast. Some level <strong>of</strong> flooding was, however, reported in<br />
eastern parishes which had possible saturated ground conditions resulting from heavy rainfall <strong>the</strong><br />
previous week.<br />
2. Emergency Actions<br />
In preparation for Hurricane Dean a fully functional National Emergency Operations Centre<br />
(NEOC) was activated on August 19 <strong>and</strong> a m<strong>and</strong>atory evacuation order was issued for some 25<br />
coastal <strong>and</strong> flood prone communities in Portmore <strong>and</strong> Nightingale Grove in St Ca<strong>the</strong>rine, Bull<br />
Bay St. Andrew, Seaforth <strong>and</strong> Bath in St. Thomas, <strong>and</strong> Port Royal in Kingston. In response to<br />
<strong>the</strong> <strong>impact</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> event, <strong>the</strong> Office <strong>of</strong> Disaster Preparedness <strong>and</strong> Emergency Management<br />
(ODPEM) carried out several emergency activities. Within 12 hours <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> event, two rapid<br />
aerial reconnaissance flights were undertaken primarily along <strong>the</strong> sou<strong>the</strong>rn parishes <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> isl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
These flights covered <strong>the</strong> parishes <strong>of</strong> Westmorel<strong>and</strong>, St. Elizabeth, Manchester, Clarendon, St.<br />
Ca<strong>the</strong>rine, Kingston & St. Andrew, St. Thomas, Portl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> St. Mary. Within three days <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
event 12 damage <strong>assessment</strong> field visits were conducted by <strong>the</strong> ODPEM in <strong>the</strong> parishes <strong>of</strong> St.<br />
Ca<strong>the</strong>rine, Clarendon, Manchester, St Elizabeth <strong>and</strong> Kingston <strong>and</strong> St. Andrew. Food drops were<br />
also made to 10 marooned communities (Westphalia, Halls Delight, Hagley’s Gap, Penlyne<br />
Castle, Tower Hill, Lime Tree, Big Tree Pear, Somerset, River Head <strong>and</strong> St. Peter) <strong>and</strong> water<br />
tanks <strong>and</strong> stations set up in affected communities like Portl<strong>and</strong> Cottage, Old Harbour <strong>and</strong> Old<br />
Harbour Bay.<br />
At <strong>the</strong> peak <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> event a total <strong>of</strong> 213 shelters were opened across all parishes housing 5,169<br />
persons (Table 1.1). The parishes with <strong>the</strong> highest number <strong>of</strong> persons in shelters were Portl<strong>and</strong>,<br />
7