Beginnings Issue 12.pub - Planning Institute of Jamaica

P a g e 3 I s s u e 12
Tropical Storm Gustav...
(Continued from page 1)
and reduce our exposure to future events. The full impact
assessment report can be accessed at the Documentation
Centre of the PIOJ.
Damage to Infrastructure & Productive Sectors
Damage and losses in the infrastructure sector represented the
greatest portion of impact accounting for over 77.61 per cent
of the estimated total (see Figure 1). As in the case of
previous hurricane and tropical storm events, the country’s
infrastructure took a battering from Tropical Storm Gustav.
There was extensive damage to the road network, bridges,
water mains, and to a lesser extent some electricity and
telecommunication facilities. Damage was estimated at
Figure 1: Sectoral Cost of Damage and Losses
0.09%
0.08%
10.68%
11.55%
of communities due to damaged bridges and impassable roads;
destruction of property including houses, crops and livestock; loss
of livelihood; and loss of life. At the peak of the event, a total of
102 shelters were opened across all parishes housing 1,952
persons. The parishes with the highest number of persons in
shelters were Kingston and St. Andrew, St. Thomas and
Clarendon with 387; 346; and 331 persons respectively. By
September 1, four days after the event, 248 persons remained in
10 shelters in 5 parishes.
There was some dislocation in the provision of utility services;
however, these were restored in a relatively short time. As at
Tuesday, September 2 all of the National Water Commission’s
major facilities were restored with the exception of the Rio Cobre
system and transmission main from the Hope Water Treatment
Plant. For those areas without water, the Rapid Response Units
and private trucks were utilized especially to facilitate institutions
that provide essential services. Service was restored to all Jamaica
Public Service customers by September 15, 2008 and the main
telephone providers indicate that there was very little disruption
to their services.
77.61%
Social Productive Infrastructure Environment Emergency Operations
$11,410.38 million while losses stood at $630 million.
There was also widespread damage to agricultural crops and
loss of livestock across the island. Preliminary estimates of
damage totalled $1,757.44 million. The most heavily impacted
crops were bananas and plantains with an estimated loss of
between 70 per cent and 85 per cent of the existing crop
estimates. The most affected parishes were Portland, St.
Thomas, St. Mary, St. Andrew and St. James. The western
end of the island did not experience as much damage as the
east, with St. Ann and Trelawny being the least affected.
Substantial damage to agriculture infrastructure including farm
roads serving coffee producing areas was also experienced.
Affected Population
While the entire population experienced some impact from
the storm, close to 450,000 residents in 76 communities were
most directly affected with the impact ranging from isolation
Farmers, as a group, were particularly affected with 22, 710
domestic crop farmers and 1,545 livestock farmers suffering
damage and loss amounting to approximately $550 million.
Banana producing communities and workers in the banana
industry are among those expected to experience the greatest
long-term impact from the passage of Tropical Storm Gustav.
This is as a result of the Jamaica Producers Group Ltd decision to
cease production of bananas for export to the United Kingdom
and to make 460 workers redundant. Workers in the construction
industry were also affected as the industry was disrupted up to
September 12 since heavy duty vehicles transporting construction
materials from the eastern end of the island into Kingston were
unable to cross the Hope River.
In the most affected communities, there was considerable
damage to the housing stock with approximately 7, 000 units
being damaged. Close to 40 per cent of the houses assessed (as
at the end of September), have been verified as being either
severely damaged or totally destroyed. These housed an
estimated 2,115 families (6,154 persons) see Table 1.
The estimated cost of the damage based on replacement cost for
a starter unit of 216 sq. ft., is $1,080 million. It is to be noted
that some communities will have to be relocated, among them
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