Relief in Hanover
Published:Wednesday | November 6, 2024 | 12:07 AMBryan Miller/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
Despite the continuous rainfall from Monday night and through much of Tuesday, residents of Hanover were in a thankful mood yesterday as preliminary assessments indicated the parish did not suffer any notable damage from the passage of Tropical Storm Rafael.
“There have been no reports of anything in particular, or of anything unusual up to this point,” David Gardner, CEO at the Hanover Municipal Corporation (HMC), told The Gleaner yesterday afternoon.
Gardner said that, despite the absence of any calamity, personnel from the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) were still working and coordinating response activities.
“Fortunately, there are no reports of flooding or landslide at this time. Shelter managers are in place, although no one has checked into any shelter so far,” the ODPEM team reported, adding that several communities were without power.
Lucea Mayor Sheridan Samuels also said there was no major hit, albeit expressing concerns about the bamboos blocking the flow of the Riley River at two bridges, a situation which has sparked flooding in the past.
“After the passing of the last hurricane (Beryl), we cleaned the passage under the Riley Bridge, but some more bamboos have washed down to block the water flow under that bridge again,” said Samuels. “We have been asking the National Works Agency (NWA) to get it cleared and they have been promising to do so.
“Under the Kew Bridge is disastrous. It is like an island made from bamboo that has been formed there. The NWA is aware of it, as we at the HMC have drawn it to their attention,” added Samuels.