Most Recent Disaster Declaration:
Jamaica Tropical Storm, 9-02-2008
On August 28, Tropical Storm Gustav made landfall in eastern Jamaica and moved along the southern parishes, predominantly affecting St. Thomas, St. Catherine, Portland, and St. Mary. On September 2, the U.S. Embassy in Kingston reported that the storm killed 4 individuals and directly affected more than 4,000 others. The storm caused substantial damage to infrastructure and flooding in at least 72 communities, rendering 120 roads impassable and affecting 65 percent of the country’s water supply. The storm also inflicted heavy losses on the agriculture sector, particularly affecting the banana crop, a primary export commodity. According to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the storm damaged 70 percent of the banana crop in St. Mary and 100 percent of the crop in St. Thomas.
On September 2, U.S. Ambassador Brenda LaGrange Johnson declared a disaster due to the effects of the tropical storm. In response, USAID/OFDA provided $100,000 through USAID/Jamaica to Jamaica’s Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management to support aerial reconnaissance and the purchase and distribution of emergency relief supplies. Following the storm, a USAID/OFDA regional advisor and consultant deployed to support USAID/Jamaica and conducted surveys of affected areas.
Additional Disaster Declaration:
Hurricane, 08-20-2007
On August 19, Hurricane Dean struck the southern coast of Jamaica as a category four hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. The Government of Jamaica’s (GOJ) Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) reported that Saint Thomas, Saint James, Saint Catherine, Saint Andrew, and Clarendon parishes had been impacted by winds, storm surge, and flooding associated with Hurricane Dean. Downed trees and flooding from the hurricane rendered many of the main roads on the island impassable. ODPEM, joined by USAID/OFDA disaster specialists, conducted initial damage assessments in the affected areas by air on August 20.
On August 20, U.S. Ambassador Brenda LaGrange Johnson declared a disaster due to the effects of the hurricane. In response, USAID/OFDA provided an initial $100,000 through USAID/Jamaica for the purchase and transport of emergency relief supplies to affected areas. On August 17, USAID/OFDA provided $25,000 through USAID/Jamaica to ODPEM to procure emergency preparedness supplies. On August 18, a six-person USAID assessment team arrived in Kingston ahead of Hurricane Dean's approach to Jamaica. The team coordinated with U.N. agencies, GOJ authorities, non-governmental organizations, donors, and other disaster assessment teams. The USAID team conducted assessments to determine if additional assistance was needed.
For information on USAID's hurricane recovery and reconstruction programs, please see here.
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