The roof at Sandy Bank Basic School, a pre-school for approximately 100 children aged 2-1/2 to 5 was damaged very badly from Hurricane Dean. School for these youngsters is suppposed to start Monday. And, for many of them, it will be their first day of school ever. We need roughly $1,500 (U.S.) for materials and very discounted labor to be able to get this school open and keep the young ones out of the elements.

Please understand that even though this is a public school, in Jamaica it is the responsibility of each area to pay for repairs themselves. This money will not be coming from any central source.

We would like to be able to order materials ASAP to be able to get that wonderful school ready for the children. We have labor ready to start on Thurday morning and work through the weekend if we know the money will be there to pay for it.

I will be traveling to Treasure Beach the end of this week and would like nothing more than to be able to pay for those repairs Monday morning when the school opens.

Please give what you can. Go to http://www.rainbowtreevillas.com/foundation.html
and click on the yellow button.

Thank you very much!

Is there a building method that is more hurricane-proof than the way things have been done in the past?

Jason Henzell noted that he saw few if any roofs gone that were screwed to the rafters instead of being nailed. Therefore, the Relief Committee will be distributing screws along with the coupons for building materials; the coupons will not be allowed to be used for galvanized nails. Also, all new roofs will have to have hurricane straps; these hold the rafters to the walls.

The most hurricane-proof roof is a cement slab-type roof. However, they are exceedingly expensive to construct.

This sounds quite intelligent. I realize almost nothing is hurricane-proof, but it sounds as if the Committee is using their prior experience to assure that work done after Dean is as substantial as possible.

Were a lot of the same houses damaged in Ivan also damaged in Dean?

Karen and all those who continue to contribute your time and effort to assist TB I applaud you! It seems that with the effects of global warming there are more hurricanes and changes regarding hurricane paths and as such maybe it would be best to invest in replacing the school's roof with a cement roof. If the entire roof can't be done at this time at least part with cement and possibly doing it in stages so that it is not so vulnerable to hurricane damage. Although the cost may appear prohibitive, in the long run cement would prove to be more cost effective and secure. The savings(materials,labour and time) would be measured in not having to replace the roof when the next strong storm hits, nor replacing damaged teaching materials and equipment.Also having a cement portion of the roof would provide a place to store IT(tecnology) equipment over summer holiday so they won't be damaged. Times are changing and we may have to be more proactive rather than reactive in using resources. Just a thought.

Thanks, Alice. There are lots of people working on this effort. What you say makes excellent sense, but I doubt if there is sufficient money to do what you are suggesting.

Cassandra, regarding which homes were damaged -- all I have right now is a preliminary list put together by the many volunteers on the Relief Committee. I am certain more homes will be added to the list. The next meeting is Saturday, September 9; I will be in Jamaica for that. Perhaps (but only perhaps) at that time I will be able to find out if some of the same homes were badly damaged again. Right now I have no way of knowing because the volunteers are all too busy, and I have seen nothing with my own eyes.