Jamaica Gleaner now has a text edition online with some news of Treasure Beach. This site has been wonderful for news of my friends, especially since there was no other news of St Elizabeth. Thanks Eric, Rebecca, Jason, etc.!

http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20040914/index.html

Thanks for the link, Elizabeth.


on 9/14/04
Here are some St. Bess highlights:
-a number of persons were still in emergency shelters awaiting the word to go home. "There are about 500 persons in the Burnt Savannah Primary School and quite a few in the Zion Church in Tuck Mountain."

-the roof of the police station in the town of Santa Cruz had been blown away. Many other businesses and houses also lost their roofs, many suffering structural damage.

-The community of New River remains cut off from the rest of the island yesterday because of flood waters

-Dr. Christopher Tufton, chairman of the Jamaica Labour Party's constituency committee for St. Elizabeth South West, described the town of Black River as a 'disaster area'. "Every other house in the town suffered structural damage, mostly to roofs," he said. "The courthouse, library and the Black River Hospital have been damaged." Dr. Tufton said that in some emergency shelters, food had been running low and those who sought shelter there have abandoned them in search of something to eat.

-Mayor of Black River Franklin Witter, described the parish as an "absolute disaster", and according to him, it could take months, if not years, before things return to normal.

However, even without the help of any state agencies, residents in Mountainside, Barbary Hall, Arlington, Ridge Pen, and Watchwell played their part in clearing the blocked roads in their communities.

Buildings and institutions which suffered severe damage in the area are Munro College, Hampton School, Bethlehem Moravian College and St. Elizabeth Technical.

REMAIN LOYAL
Hi Rebecca and all in TB. Have been monitoring these articles in silence. Mostly in disbelief.I go to this site regularly over the past year to keep up on my home away from home. Nothing much more I can say that hasn't already been said except for this:
This disaster will not deter me from making my annual trek to visit. Why should it? The main reasons I go is the sun, water and above all else, the people. They are all still there!
The worst thing we can do for the economy is to not return as scheduled. I will forever reamin loyal to TB and it's people.

Thanks for the warm words, Ken.

In addition to returning to TB when the time is right and rebuilding the toursit industry there...Ready for a shameless please for money?... Give Give Give Now.

We're up to almost US$6000 all told so far. Need much more.

I've just sent a direct donation to Norma and Vinnie Moxam via Jason at Jake's since I didn't know their street address. Could someone let me know when they've received it?

Jamaica Observer is now online: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/

I have included a whole article on the search for fisherman, since many here have been concerned. Please remember that even the newspapers may not have the latest news:

Coast Guard searches for Pedro Banks group

Wednesday, September 15, 2004

THE Jamaica Defence Force Coast Guard were last night maintaining a search for 33 people, including three women, who apparently defied hurricane warnings and stayed on the Pedro Cays, the rich fishing banks off Jamaica's south coast, despite Ivan's approach last weekend.

"We went out today and we are going out again," an official at the Coast Guard headquarters at Port Royal confirmed last night. "A recovery vessel is on the way."

He, however, referred the Observer to the JDF headquarters for additional information.

Earlier yesterday, planes from the Jamaica Defence Force air wing also searched the areas around the Pedro Banks, which are about 50 miles off the mainland, Observer sources said.

In an unrelated development, the Coast Guard announced yesterday the rescue of three men, who had left the coast town of Black River, St Elizabeth, on Friday, hoping to ride out Hurricane Ivan in the open seas. An undetermined number of persons remained missing from that escapade, but one of them was Earsly Moxam, the son of one of the rescued men, Clarence Moxam.

Last night, senior officials at the JDF headquarters in Kingston were not available for comment on the Pedro Cays incident, but sources in Black River confirmed a growing anxiety in the region over the fate of the group who are presumed to be missing.

By last Wednesday, with Hurricane Ivan having already slammed into Grenada, killing 23 people and damaging or destroying 90 per cent of the country's buildings, the Jamaican authorities were telling fishermen on the Pedro Cays to return to the mainland. The message was also relayed by the JDF Coast Guard.

Normally, there are up to 100 fishermen on the Cays. Most of them had left by Thursday, with the waters around the banks turning choppy. Ivan, harrumphing into a category five storm, was still a long way off.

Apparently believing that the Ivan warning was another false alarm about an approaching hurricane heading for Jamaica, the group of 33 appeared to have stayed, Black River sources and Coast Guard officials conjectured.

Some, it seemed, had played those odds and won when Hurricane Charley was destined for Jamaica last month, but swerved from the island. Jamaica has had similar near misses in recent years.

"Charley missed Jamaica so maybe most of them decided to take that risk again," a duty officer at the Coast Guard headquarters conjectured.

In the other incident of the rescued men, the Coast Guard said that on Friday two motor vessels, Miss Rita and Ocean Queen, sailed from Black River for the open seas with the aim of riding out Ivan.

A report was made to the JDF on Monday of the two vessels, rafted together, and in distress about 85 nautical miles north west of Negril. A C130 Hercules aircraft was dispatched from the US Coast Guard Air Station in Clearwater, Florida and a search and rescue mission eventually located one of the vessels, Miss Rita, about 100 nautical miles northwest of Montego Bay, near to Cayman Brac.

The vessel was found drifting without power in 40-50 foot swells, the Coast Guard said. Three men were found onboard - Clarence Moxam of Waterloo Road, Kingston (owner of the vessel), James Heath of Alligator Pond, St Elizabeth and George Matute of Honduras - and were hoisted to safety unto the JDF helicopter, piloted by Captain Sean Reid and Co-pilot Lieutenant Jason Morris.
The rescued men were taken to the Cornwall Regional Hospital in Montego Bay.

The Coast Guard said they were uncertain about the number of men who were on the two vessels, but they had unconfirmed reports that Ocean Queen has beached in Cuba.

"This report is being investigated," the Coast Guard said.

hi, am writing from Scotland and trying to get news of how badly Flagaman, St Elizabeth was affected - spoke to my Grandmother on the phone 2 days before Ivan hit but seems lines down again - anna

Hi,i am connecting from Bronx New York to find out how my mom,dad and rest of family are doing in Watchell.Thanks to Iesha and Tornado who have kept them safe.If any know who they are give love and kisses for me,and peace and love to you all,God bless----Audrey Wright.