Go-Jamaica Weather Watch

With a week to go before Banana export begins in Jamaica, farmers in St Mary are facing almost complete devastation after the passing of Tropical Storm Gustav.
Right across the parish, Banana trees were down but the plight of the farmers wasn’t the only problem St Mary residents had to face.

Rains started early Wednesday night and, accompanied by strong gusty winds, have since intensified.

According to Yolande Williams, disaster coordinator for the parish, all agencies were activated yesterday and were prepared in case of disaster.
There are currently five shelters opened with 63 occupants at this time.

The entire parish is without electricity. There were reports of boulders falling on the Junction road, though The National Works Agency has already put the necessary machinery in place to clear them.

That machinery will have to be working overtime, as since their movement into action, there have been numerous reports of landslides and fallen trees on the Junction road. There have also been reports of trees falling on power lines all across the parish.

The districts of Clonmel, Lewis Store and Highgate have all been cut off from neighbouring communities due to the collapse of the Westmoreland Bridge, while two houses in Broadgate have been swept away by the Wag Water River.