DATE: TIME:

August 23, 2007 6:00 pm

 

 

EVENT:

Hurricane Dean

 

DATE OF EVENT:

August 22,  2007

 

SITUATION REPORT NO.:

12

 

NATURE OF EVENT

 

Hurricane Dean is no longer a threat to Jamaica at this time

 

Casualties

Four persons are confirmed dead as a result of injuries related to the passage of Hurricane Dean.

 

Telecommunications

Digicel

• Digicel is reporting 95% network coverage island wide, complete restoration may depend on JPS power.

 

Electricity

The JPS continues to make progress in its effort to restore electricity supply to the nation. As at 10:00 a.m. power has been restored to over 190,000 customers or approximately 34% of its customer base.  

 

Customers in all parishes except St. Mary, Portland, St. Thomas, St. Elizabeth have started to receive electricity service. This is due primarily to the extent of damage to the company’s power delivery system in these parishes.

 

The company has been prioritorising the delivery of service to critical facilities such as water pumping facilities and hospitals. The following communities are likely to receive power today

 

Water Supply

The National Water Commission (NWC) has reported that a further 28 water supply have been put back into operation since yesterday, due partly to the restoration of power to various water systems. See Appendix

 

Constant efforts are being made to have additional systems brought online

 

Health

The Ministry of Health through their Emergency Operations Centre continues to monitor the health sector across the island. There have been preliminary reports of damage to health facilities.

 

Communities Affected

A total of 130 communities in 12 parishes (reported) to date have been affected by the passage of Hurricane Dean. (See Appendix and Map attached). Of this amount three (3) communities have been affected by landslide, eight (8) by storm surge, Ninety eight (98) by wind, 1 by wind and flooding, 17 by wind and landslide, Three (3) by wind and storm surge. Of this amount the most severely impacted communities were found to be Bull Bay, Caribbean Terrace, Old Harbour Bay, Rocky Point and Portland Cottage. There will be further updates in subsequent situation reports as some damage assessment teams are still in the field.

 

ACTIONS TAKEN

• EOC continues to be activated
• Resource and Needs list are constantly being compiled.
• Periodic parish updates to monitor shelter status
• Three water tanks along with collapsible containers dispatched to Portland Cottage
• Several sectors are also undertaking assessment
• Monitoring of shelters and feeding of shelterees
• Welfare assessment teams have been deployed
• Relief distribution carried out to Old Harbour and Clarendon
• Continued collation of Damage Assessment Data

 

ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN

• Continuation of damage assessment activities.
• Food drops to cut- off communities Somerset, Mansfield, Tower Hill

      Lime Tree, Spring Bank.

• Continued attempts to re-establish communication links with affected parishes
• Servicing of shelters with water by NWC
• Arrangement of relief distribution for affected communities in St. Thomas
• Relief distribution for shelters which remain open
• Establishing of satellite water distribution stations

 

Shelter Updates

A total of 52 shelters are now opened across the island, housing some 1188 shelterees. These results represent figures gathered as at the time of collation of this report. (see appendix A for shelter list)

 

Areas Impacted

Over the past two days a total of at least 10 initial damage assessments field visits, coordinated by the ODPEM have been undertaken in the parishes of St Catherine, Clarendon, Manchester, St. Elizabeth and Kingston and St. Andrew. The teams consisted of representatives of donor agencies and were lead by ODPEM/local team leaders.

 

The assessment priorities were for housing impacted, general observation of damage and preliminary identification of needs. 

 

General observation of damage in all parishes includes:

• Impassable roads due to:
• Fallen trees
• Down poles and power lines
• Storm surge debris
• Absence of regular water supply in several areas
• Varying degrees of damage to households

 

Clarendon

Just over 900 houses were assessed in Rocky Point and Portland Cottage. Of this number 889 houses sustained damage to varying degrees. Approximately 65% of these housing units sustained major damage or were destroyed. Damage was mainly as a result of storm surge and wind damage.

 

The major needs in this area are for water supply, reconstruction and housing solutions for displaced population.

 

St Catherine

Approximately 532 houses were assessed in the Hellshire and Old Harbour Bay area. Of this amount approximately 70%-80% sustained major damage or were destroyed.

 

Manchester

Areas assessed include Huntley/Mt. Prospect and Alligator Pond. Damage in this area was not as extensive as the other parishes. Utilities were not available in these areas.

 

St. Elizabeth

The areas of Bull Savannah and Cross Keys sustained the greatest impact fro wind damage. More than half of the damage sustained in the areas assessed were recorded in these area. Similarly utilities were not available.

 

Appendix

 Detailing water systems that have been brought back online.

 

Kingston and St. Andrew

• Havendale deepwell
• Forest Hills Reservoir and relift
• Whitemarl#1 and 2
• Drummond Filter Plant
• Craig Hill
• Hibbert Spring

 

St. Thomas

• Georgia
• Arntully Grove
• Wilmington
• Port Morant(50%)
• Windsor Castle
• Cedar Valley
• Crab River
• Trinityville

 

Portland

• Guava Walk
• Hope Bay
• Lancaster
• Haining

 

St. Catherine

• Twickenham Park
• Friendship
• Angels
• Central Village

Hanover

• Esher
• Bachelors Hall

Summary of Damage in Assessed Communities

 

SUMMARY OF DAMAGE
	Level 1	Level 2	Level 3	Level 4	Total	Percentage
Clarendon	142	191	329	227	889	29.04
St. Catherine	0	55	37	382	532	17.38
Kingston and St. Andrew	109	42	31	39	221	7.22
Manchester	145	23	34	33	235	7.68
St. Elizabeth	366	339	160	319	1184	38.68
Total	762	650	591	1000	3061
Percentages	24.89	21.23	19.31	32.67	98.11

 

The table summarizes damage to assessed communities. The current data indicates that St. Elizabeth has the largest percentage of damage followed by Clarendon.

 

Table showing Levels of Damage in Assessed Communities

 

 

 

NEEDS ASSESSMENT

 

The needs arising out of the newly assessed areas have not exceeded the projected needs and therefore the August 22, 2007 needs list remain applicable based on the current assessment.

 

Needs	Items	Description	Quantity	Projected needs
Water
	5 gal Containers	8000
	1 liter Bottled water	1700 x 7	11,900	29, 750
	Storage Tanks           1000 gal 800 gal 400 gal	26 with fittings 10 with fittings 8  with fittings		52 20 16
Roofing
	Tarpaulins	16 x18 12 x14 8 x10	175 200 300	350 400 600
	Aluminum sheeting	9 x 3	16,000	32,000
	Building  material       Plywood	2 x 4 x 18 2 x 6 x 18 1 x 10 x 18   3/8  6 sheets per house	15,000 pieces 1000 pieces 2000 pieces   6000 sheets	30,000 2000 4000   12,000
	Nails	3 inch nails   4 inch   Galvanize nails or screws	7000 lbs   3000 lbs   5000 lbs	14,000   6000   10,000
	Housing units	700 housing solutions		1400
	Hurricane rafter straps	18 per unit	18 ,000	36,000
Hygiene Kits	Per person	7500		15,000
Portable Toilets	1 per 10 person		500	500

 

The need for water supply is being jointly addresses by the National Water Commission and a donor agency through the provision of water stations. This is further explained in the utilities section of the report.

 

 

Summary of short term needs:                                                        

• Distribution of water supply to affected areas
• Construction materials to facilitate repair of level 1 and level 2 damage
• Debris collection
• Restoration of electricity and water supply
• Co-ordination of welfare/relief supplies

Appendix A

Table Showing Shelters Opened and Number of Persons Being Sheltered

Parish	Name of Shelter	Number of persons	Male	Female	Children