Trelawny thankful
Published:Wednesday | November 6, 2024 | 12:08 AMRochelle Clayton/Staff Reporter
WESTERN BUREAU:
Residents of low-lying areas in Trelawny were quite happy yesterday, having been spared from Tropical Storm Rafael, experiencing mainly light rainfall and overcast skies, with a few areas seeing heavy showers.
The storm, which passed to the west of the island, brought heavy rainfall and windy conditions to several parishes.
Alethia Hylton, who lives in Zion, a community on the outskirts of Falmouth that is renowned for flooding, was grateful that the community was “spared” the worst.
During the passage of Hurricane Beryl in July, a fallen tree caused significant damage to her house, which she has since rebuilt.
“I am overwhelmed and we have to give God thanks,” she said yesterday. “Mi never affi worry and mi nah look up inna no tree. Mi just hope and pray that everybody else good, too.”
Hylton said she had not made any preparations for the passage of Rafael.
“Honestly, I just said that we had a big disaster in [July] and I don’t think God is going to do that to us again. My daughter is still traumatised, so she covers her head and ears whenever she hears the rain. But we did not experience any wind or heavy rain, just drizzle,” she said.
Another Zion resident, Brandon Moreland, told The Gleaner that he had anticipated heavier rainfall and had started making plans to take shelter at the nearby William Knibb Memorial High School.
“My house a leak right now, so that was my plan. Mi pack my bag already fi run. If mi see the rain a come too hard, mi a go get my bag with my important stuff,” he told The Gleaner.
Over at the Falmouth Transportation Centre, taxi operator Neville Gordon was also relieved.
“We are glad to know that it spared us, because we are blessed. We are [on the north] of the island and whatever disaster passes through always spare us. I didn’t even prepare for it. I didn’t shop for food or anything because I experienced Gilbert and know that more establishments are available now than back then,” Gordon said.
Dion Hylton-Lewis, parish disaster coordinator for Trelawny, told The Gleaner that the municipal corporation had not received any reports of blocked roads or flooded homes.
“We received some reports of places without electricity and they are being restored. So, overall, we handled the situation well,” said Hylton-Lewis.