Jamaica Hurricane Dean 2007 | St. Mary | Category4DeanQ20070820RM

shelly says:

August 23rd, 2007, 9:32 pm

my goodness even the board gone ..

Petrina says:

August 24th, 2007, 12:17 pm

a sad sight

Lydia in London says:

August 24th, 2007, 5:44 pm

No need to worry, Jamaica will come back from their setback....!!!

Robert says:

August 24th, 2007, 7:08 pm

Lydia, I agree...we will come back

AZIZI says:

August 24th, 2007, 9:33 pm

KIDS DON'T GIVE UP EVEN UNDER A TREE READ AND YOU'LL SUCEED

natasha ricketts says:

August 25th, 2007, 10:05 am

I think God is showing us a sign that we all just need to come together and be there for one another, I live in the Cayman Islannds, and we speared, but I think in the sight of God and the guidance of God's ,merciful hands Jamaica was speared too, think about it the eye didn't even make on shore, imagine if it did, so lets just give praises to God today and forever more, and move on day by day, things could be alot worse.

Sherry says:

August 27th, 2007, 8:08 am

WOW!

Lloyd G. Tapper says:

August 27th, 2007, 2:46 pm

This was obviously a house of some substance and quality, but it appears to have suffered from a common Jamaican weakness - poorly secured roof. Wall plates should be secured to walls by bolts (or preferably by being held by the steel bars coming up from the foundations. In turn, rafters should be strapped to the plates at regular intervals, and the roofing material clinch-nailed to the roofing bed (sarking or laths). In effect the roof should find its security all the way to the foundations. Without such structural security, gale force winds getting access to the underside of roofs through open eaves or other open spaces, act on the roof like wind on a ship's sail and you will have a lift-off that NASA would be proud of, but would be grief to a house-owner.

As a disaster preparedness exercise, insurance companies could help house-owners (and themselves) by assisting house-owners to determine the structural integrity of buildings by examining vulnerable parts of such buildings, look for cracks, signs of settlement, poor roof construction, etc., and take appropriate retro-fixing or pre-emptive measures to avoid, or at least minimise, the possibility of structural damage in times of natural disastrous phenomena.

Lloyd G. Tapper says:

August 27th, 2007, 2:46 pm

This was obviously a house of some substance and quality, but it appears to have suffered from a common Jamaican weakness - poorly secured roof. Wall plates should be secured to walls by bolts (or preferably by being held by the steel bars coming up from the foundations. In turn, rafters should be strapped to the plates at regular intervals, and the roofing material clinch-nailed to the roofing bed (sarking or laths). In effect the roof should find its security all the way to the foundations. Without such structural security, gale force winds getting access to the underside of roofs through open eaves or other open spaces, act on the roof like wind on a ship's sail and you will have a lift-off that NASA would be proud of, but would be grief to a house-owner.

As a disaster preparedness exercise, insurance companies could help house-owners (and themselves) by assisting house-owners to determine the structural integrity of buildings by examining vulnerable parts of such buildings, look for cracks, signs of settlement, poor roof construction, etc., and take appropriate retro-fixing or pre-emptive measures to avoid, or at least minimise, the possibility of structural damage in times of natural disastrous phenomena.

Donnette says:

August 30th, 2007, 2:33 am

what was that all about, I am sure that not all of the buildings in Jamaica were damage like this, so why it is a common Jamaican weakness? You shaould be thanking God that all lives were speared, but you have this epistle of mumble jumble.

sullianne says:

August 30th, 2007, 5:41 am

donnette, i surely agree with u i am in the us and if breeze blow on these houses they start shaking, where can you find better making houses with quality structure than in JA. i am just glad that we were not damage more by dean "Praises to God".

Cecil in London says:

August 30th, 2007, 8:51 am

Lloyd, I agree with you totally, If you look at the eastern wall, you can see that the wall plate was not secured. The proper fixing of wall plates, using hurricane straps slope of roof are measures, that can be taken to improve the performance of a building, and these are fairly inexpensive measures. The owners need to install holding down bolts with suitable grout, at about 500mm centres and this will solve this problem.

Renee in Grand Cayman says:

August 31st, 2007, 12:14 pm

Lloyd and Cecil since you two know what Jamaica's problem is with their building codes, why don't you two go to Jamaica and remedy the situation rather than talk about it in this time of need. The people are trying to recover. Not everyone can afford to have the kind of measures put in place that you are talking about. You say inexpensive but inexpensive to who? and not everyone can afford insurance, some people have to make do, maybe you would not understand that. Luckily for you, you live where you live.

What you should be saying is give God Thanks that the devistation wasn't worse, and try to offer aid rather than be inconsiderate.

JAMAICANLADY says:

August 31st, 2007, 4:05 pm

RENEE, I SECOND YOUR COMMEN, CECIL AND LLOYD NEED TO PUT THEIR HAND AND HEART WHERE THERE MOUTH IS, SINCE THEY HAVE SO MUCH TO SAY, THEY NEED TO PUT IT IN ACTIN, AND IF YOU HAD READ THE CAPTION UNDER THE PICTURE THEY WOULD HAVE NOTICED IT SAID A RECREATIONAL CENTER, NOT A HOUSE.

george says:

September 2nd, 2007, 3:29 pm

remember this one thing, that God in his mercy and love has speared our island one more time, can we give him thanks, it could have been worst has the eye had pass completely over.it is not easy to have roof blown off , and not have the money to replace . trust God only, not politican , they are not your source. God is, he will make a way.

Cecil in London says:

September 3rd, 2007, 6:43 am

Renee and The Jamaican Lady. It is very sad that you took what myself and Lloyd personal. This is the problem we have with Jamaica. we seems to look at quick fix solutions. No where in history a quick fix solution worked, and surely will not work in this case. Look at this centre, you can see that some effort was put into its construction, however, no though put into the effects of how the building would perform during an hurricane. It is simple, had the owners/contractors, reduce the size of the building by say 10 inches they would have enough money to provide secure fixing for the roof. I think you all missed our point, we would like people to think about their safety and that of others during construction. A lot of people cannot affort engineers and architects, however there are simple thing s that can be done. And it is full time us Jamaicans starts learning, and help ourselves. Let me set the record straight. Hurricanes and other natural disasters are not new, for thousands of years they happens from time to time. The problem is poorly built and maintained infrastructures the gets damages. Reenee the old saying is true, GIVE A MAN A CORN YOU WILL FEED HIM FOR A DAY. BUT TEACH HIM TO PLANT AND YOU WILL FEED HIM FOR LIFE. I still love you guys, whatever we say here It is always will good intentions.