Trelawny gears up for hurricane season

Ruddy Mathison, Gleaner Writer

FALMOUTH, Trelawny:AS THE 2012 hurricane season starts today, chairman of the Trelawny Parish Council Garth Wilkinson said all systems are in place to deal with any eventualities.

Wilkinson, who is also mayor of Falmouth, noted that shelter managers are already trained and are assigned to 98 per cent of the 102 shelters throughout the parish. He said the remaining two per cent would be assigned soon.

He told The Gleaner that despite the fact that he has not received funding to carry out maintenance work required, such as the cleaning of drains and cutting of overgrown trees, he is utilising funds available to the parish council to spearhead a drain-maintenance programme on a number of drains that could contribute to widespread flooding in low-lying areas.

ready to take action

"I can assure you that as soon as we get the warning, my team and I will be out there cutting the trees that can pose problems to people's safety. Agencies such as the Red Cross, Jamaica Public Service Company and the churches, through the local minister's fraternal, are on board," Wilkinson asserted.

He said the local office of the National Works Agency has identified flood-prone areas in the parish so emergency workers and volunteers can move expeditiously in helping the less fortunate. He warned that residents should be prepared for evacuation if the need arises.

rural@gleanerjm.com