Jackson

Shelly-Ann Thompson, Staff Reporter

JAMAICA WAS placed on a tropical storm watch in the midst of the country's celebrating a victory at the Olympics in Beijing, China.

The Meteorological Service yesterday advised the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) that the island was on a tropical storm watch, as weather conditions associated with Fay were expected to affect the island.

The afternoon report from the service yesterday said Fay had formed in the vicinity of eastern Dominican Republic and was expected to pass over 100 kilometres (65 miles) off Jamaica's northeast coast late last night into Sunday.

Last night, Jamaica was expected to begin experiencing heavy rainfall, thunderstorms and gusty winds, especially over northern parishes - Portland, St Ann, St Mary and Trelawny.

Unprepared

Jamaicans, however, were seemingly caught up with Usain Bolt's world-record run at the Olympics and were not preparing for the effects of the tropical storm.

Leading supermarket chains reported limited sales of disaster-preparedness essentials.

Dihann Campbell, regional manager of Hi-Lo Foods Store, said increases in purchases of items including candles, crackers and batteries intensified in the afternoon.

"We recorded our normal sales of these items during the morning hours, but by afternoon, people were buying these items more than usual on a Saturday," said Campbell, after a check with some 13 of its stores.

Richard Chen, director of Super Plus Food Stores, said there was no difference in activity in terms of sales of the supplies needed in case of a disaster, commenting that "people were in the Olympic mood and have not realised that we are on a tropical storm watch".

On standby

Ronald Jackson, director general of the ODPEM, told The Sunday Gleaner that critical members of the national response team had been notified and were on standby should the need arise.

Shelter managers for priority shelters along the north coast were on standby, if these were needed.

"The Emergency Operation Centre has been activated, with a skeletal team monitoring the situation," said Jackson.

In Westmoreland, Hilma Tate, parish coordinator for the ODPEM, said the parish had 86 designated shelters and should flooding become imminent, persons would have sufficient places to stay.

"There are two shelters which are unusable," says Tate. "The one at Sir Clifford has sanitary-convenience problems, and the one at New Hope All-Age School will not be used because it is too close to the shore, which has an erosion problem."

- Additional reporting by Dalton Laing

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