Evacuated
Trelawny Infirmary cleared out ahead of hurricane
FALMOUTH, Trelawny — Leaving nothing to chance, Trelawny Municipal Corporation (TMC) late yesterday afternoon began relocating 54 residents from the Trelawny Infirmary to a temporary shelter at Hague Primary School.
Plans are also in place to evacuate the five people who currently sleep at the Falmouth Night Shelter for the Homeless, and the roughly 25 homeless people who eat at the Falmouth Drop-In-centre will also be relocated.
“In accordance with the Trelawny Infirmary Plan, the residents are evacuated when the hurricane warning is issued by the Meteorological Service of Jamaica. The plan takes into consideration transportation arrangement for the residents, and a safe evacuation route to the emergency shelter located at the Hague Primary School,” mayor of Falmouth and chairman of the TMC, Councillor C Junior Gager told the Jamaica Observer.
“However, due to the location of the drop-in centre and the night shelter, which is across the road from the Trelawny Infirmary, the Trelawny Parish Disaster Committee has decided that the homeless persons would have to be evacuated as well, since both buildings are also prone to flooding and storm surge. Therefore, the homeless would also be evacuated to the Hague Primary School,” he added.
The drop-in centre and the night shelter are located on the same premises, just across the road from the infirmary.
Gager noted that, except for Falmouth which is below sea level, all shelters are in place across the parish.
“All the shelters in the nine divisions are up and running. They are manned with volunteers who will be working and shelter managers; we have a list of their phone numbers [and] we have everything prepared. The managers are also properly trained so all training has been completed; they are ready. Everybody knows where their shelter will be if there is a hurricane,” he assured.
He also noted that all councillors in the nine divisions received allocations to concentrate on the cleaning of drains.
“All the drains are being cleaned. All bottles and everything has been taken up at this time. We want to make sure that if anything happens, water can flow freely. We are making sure that the drains are running and in order,” Gager expressed.