Jamaica Defence Force to help nation to bounce back post-Beryl

Jamaica: Chief of Defence Staff, Vice Admiral Antonette Wemyss Gorman was instructed by Prime Minister Andrew Holness to deploy the Disaster Assistance and Recovery Team (DART) to aid with the efforts to rebuild the residences and buildings in the effected regions.

The DART will receive assistance from other support units on field, including the engineering corp. They will cover the areas in the southern coast of Jamaica that endured the hardest strike by the Hurricane Beryl.

They will assist the recovery in areas such as Portland Cottage and Rocky Point in Clarendon. The troops will also be deployed in Hanover to aid with the rebound, in areas surrounding the Westmoreland and particularly in the town of Negril.

Jamaica was severely hit with heavy winds and rain, which resulted in damaging buildings and fallen trees. The Category 4 Hurricane entered the island nation with winds of around 130 mph and caused severe damage to Jamaica’s southern coast.

Hurricane Beryl has caused huge loss to several Caribbean nations due to which infrastructural damages have been recorded in nations like Carriacou, Grenada, St Vincent and the Grenadines and recently Jamaica.  The devastation brought down power lines, took roofs off houses and left hundreds of people homeless and in shelters.

PM Holness being responsible for the housing, addressed the House of Representatives, stated that mobilizing the section of Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) in South-East Clarendon will also eventually lead them to the areas of Manchester and St Elizabeth.

He added that this action not only focuses on rebuilding but also aims to build the structures even stronger and more resilient, thus, withstanding any future disasters or natural hazards.

The rebuild and construction will not just be limited to patching damaged roofs or make vulnerable structures, instead their efforts will aim for sustainability and durability.

The Prime Minister added that the government will move on to better technologies like the usage of drones to further track and for assessment of the damage endured. He further stated that although the administration at present cannot assure to assist each and every person who were rendered homeless but will make sure that the process is not biased and rather truly transparent.