Mr. Henry stated that the closure of the roadway impacted the economic activities of persons using the roadway in one form or another. “A lot of businesses lost income because of the other roads being used and the diversion of the traffic,” he pointed out, noting that the livelihood of persons who vend in the area should improve.

The Minister said he was satisfied with the quality of work executed by Bouygues Travaux Publics Jamaica Limited, builders of Highway 2000, which did the work at no cost to the Government.

Mr. Henry said he travelled on the roadway a few days earlier and recommended that a few more road markings be done, and that barriers and additional reflectors be installed in some critical areas of the roadway.

He also noted that there are still some things left to be done, but it was important that it be opened, as it was having an impact on the travelling public, motorists and businesses. “There is still work to be done in raising the level of the walls and we have to begin the de-silting of the river, because that water level in the river is high and that has to start,” he explained.

Addressing the matter of the alternative routes through Barry and Sligoville, Mr. Henry said he is currently awaiting the estimates to expand and upgrade them, from Bouygues, so he could begin raising the money.

The Minister pointed out that following the destruction of the roadway through the Gorge, he also requested Bouygues to look at Crescent Road, another proposed alternative route, and to present an estimate for upgrading.

Mr. Henry said he would be observing keenly, how the cemented section of the roadway through the Gorge holds up, as that could influence road building in Jamaica.

Source: www.jis.gov.jm

 BOG WALK GORGE : Before and after Gustav and the repair process.

Motorists are being urged to use alternative routes.

Jamaica is currently under a flash flood warning.

A flash flood watch means flash flooding is possible and residents are advised to take precautionary measures and to keep informed by listening to further releases from the meteorological service.

The Met Office said the active Tropical Wave that has been in the vicinity of Jamaica will continue to influence the weather conditions across the island.

A tropical wave that was exiting the African coastline on September 3 developed into the 12th tropical depression of the season on September 8, while approaching the Windward Islands. The cyclone rapidly strengthened to hurricane status on September 10, as a west-northwest motion brought Gilbert into the eastern Caribbean Sea. Gilbert passed directly over Jamaica on September 12 as a major hurricane, becoming the first direct impact for the island from a hurricane since 1951.

Winds gusted to nearly 150 mph as Gilbert produced a 9-foot storm surge along Jamaica’s northeast coast. Jamaica was devastated as the eyewall traversed the entire length of the island. During this period the eye contracted from 25 nmi to only 12 nmi upon exiting Jamaica.

Gilbert emerged off the western coastline of Jamaica and began a period of extraordinarily rapid intensification. The ferocious hurricane strengthened to Category 4 status as its northern eyewall pounded Grand Cayman Island with 155 mph wind gusts early on September 13.

Gilbert’s remarkable intensification trend continued as the cyclone reached Category 5 status on the afternoon of the 13th and eventually reached peak winds of 185 mph. The minimum central pressure of the cyclone plummeted to 888 millibars, which represented a 70-millibar drop in only a 24-hour period. This minimum central pressure recorded by NOAA aircraft remains the lowest pressure ever recorded in the western hemisphere.

Gilbert crossed the northeast coast of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula on September 14, becoming the first Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic basin to strike land since Camille in 1969.

Gilbert weakened over the Yucatan Peninsula and emerged into the western Gulf of Mexico as a Category 2 hurricane. Gilbert’s large circulation regained major hurricane status as the cyclone continued on a west-northwest course on the 16th. The hurricane made its final landfall near the town of La Pesca on the Mexican Gulf Coast on the evening of September 16 as a strong Category 3 hurricane.

Gilbert’s remnants spawned 29 tornadoes over Texas on September 18, with flooding spreading to the Midwest as the remnants merged with a frontal boundary over Missouri on September 19. Although no reliable measurements of storm surge exist from Gilbert’s two Mexican landfalls, estimates are that Gilbert produced between 15 and 20 feet of surge along the Yucatan and eight to 13 feet at landfall in mainland Mexico.

Gilbert’s large size and impacts were felt over much of the Caribbean, Central America as well as portions of the United States. The death toll of 318 gives an idea of the scope of Gilbert’s impacts: Mexico 202, Jamaica 45, Haiti 30, Guatemala 12, Honduras 12, Dominican Republic 5, Venezuela 5, United States 3, Costa Rica 2, and Nicaragua 2.

The deaths from Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Venezuela were caused by inland flash flooding from outer rainbands.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Gilbert

Like an avalanche, hurricane ‘IVAN’ made its way across the Caribbean waters aiming directly at Jamaica. Through divine intervention, it shifted a wee bit, dropped back from a category five to a category four hurricane, broke its wind-speed to eight miles an hour and ‘coasted’ on the shore as it battered the land with puffs of gusting winds and torrential showers of rain.

Manchester, St Elizabeth and Clarendon had not yet recovered from the ravishing of Charley Two before they were again struck by this destroyer. Right across the parishes- from north to south; east to west, everyone experienced the wrath of IVAN the terrorist. One resident remarked, “Don’t say IVAN, say ‘MASS’ Ivan; him a nuh boy, him a big man!”

  Police patrol a street in Kingston after Hurricane Ivan hit Jamaica, September 11, 2004.

 A Jamaican man stands on a flooded street in Kingston during rain and winds brought on by Hurricane Ivan in Kingston, Jamaica, September 11, 2004.

Deadly Hurricane Ivan ripped into Jamaica with powerful winds, torrential rains and huge waves, tearing away houses and washing out roads before heading toward the tiny Cayman Islands and Cuba.

One man said, “I heard this roaring sound coming up the hill and suddenly, I did not hear it again. I peeped outside, and noticed the rain and breeze going down hill. Just as I was about to say, ‘Thank God’, I heard a whistling sound coming back. Before I could think what it was, my roof was flying down the hill while the whistle continued up the hill.”

He explained this phenomenon this way. “Ivan must have said that him never know sey one house left up yah suh. So him tun back dung de hill, pick up speed and whistle when him a go blow off mi roof. Bway dis yah storm nuh only rough, him cold!”

Ivan was steadfast in its focus…from its nook on the shore, it focused in all directions. Being able to ‘view’ the land from a strategic angle, it had no difficulty stalking its victims. Ivan was a good mixer too. No category was spared. No, not one! People have been heard to say, “dis yah storm nuh partial, eh touch everybody!”

Ann-Marie Burke and Madge Rochester were two women who lived in one of the beachfront houses that felt the full rage of Ivan. Madge said she thinks she was lucky that they evacuated on Thursday as there would have been more damages than just property.

When they returned on Monday they were shocked to see the wreckage Ivan left behind. It was as if something chewed its way through the community and spat it back out.

Ivan strength raised the waves to great heights, which bit huge chunks out of the buildings creating new entrances and exits. The ‘monster’ swooped down on the approximately three feet of seawall without any resistance and ravaged the houses sitting along the shoreline.

“Water and sand went through the grill at the front room but everything else was flushed out from the back,” said Madge. The waves that broke high tore off the doors leading into the house allowing a free-flow of water, sand and other debris to settle inside.

The beach to the rear of the house was dugout leaving behind large boulders never seen before. The foundation of the seawall that should be underground is now visible as it sits atop the sand.

In the kitchen of the house, there stood empty bottles of Bailey’s Rum Cream lining the top of the cupboard unharmed. Walks through the wrecked house led to three left-foot of shoes, no a sign of the right ones.

In the midst of all the damage, these residents manage to still have running water in their taps, more fortunate than many Jamaicans. Like some of the other residents of this area, Madge suffered additionally from looters who stole some of the appliances that once sat throughout the house.

They confessed that they have nowhere else to go and will stay there until better comes. When asked what do they eat, Madge was quite frank to say, “Biscuits and sodas.”

Tacky High School

A team from the Gleaner toured the parish of St Mary as part of its ‘Back To School’ coverage today.

Look out for the full report in tomorrow’s Jamaica Gleaner as we speak with the principals and vice principals of the affected schools.

Exclusive audio and video footage will also be on this blog in the afternoon.

Until then all stories can be followed from The Gleaner/Power106 News Team at Power106FM on www.go-jamaica.com .

The Gleaner, Power 106FM and www.go-jamaica.com would like to assist the utility companies of Jamaica to help the public.

Can you leave a comment if your community is without light or water or blocked off as a result of land slippage? You do not need to leave your name. We just need the name of the community, or a street address and the parish…

Let us all work together to get these issues resolved.

Schools with significant damage to the roof:

• Fair Prospect Primary
• Fair Prospect High
• Manchioneal All-Age
• Islington High
• Reach All-Age
• Happy Grove High
• St Mary High
• Tacky High School
• Lime Hall Primary
• August Town Primary

Schools that are difficult to access because of flooding or land slippage:

• Cascade All Age
• Mavis Bank High
• Dallas Primary and Junior High
• St Theresa’s All-Age
• Black River High
• Lewisville Hig

Schools still being used as shelters:

• Annotto Bay High
• Drapers All-Age
• Portland Cottage All-Age
• Bustamante High School
• Pleasnt Valley Primar

Schools that have been flooded:

• Brimmer Vale High
• Port Maria Primary

Mr. Lawrence said the Ministry is now in the process of compiling a list of those schools.

He said the schools would resume on a phased basis.

He said the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) is also trying to relocate those persons being sheltered in schools, as soon as possible.