After the hurricane comes the calm…




Tropical Storm Sandy became a category one hurricane around mid afternoon on Wednesday, October 24th. The entire country prayed ceaselessly for Hurricane Sandy to pass Jamaica with as little damage as possible. Tall thunder clouds brought steady rainfall accompanied by forceful winds, and crashing waves, some measured up to 12 feet in height. Within the first few hours the hurricane’s effect was evident – impassable roads, flooded river banks, 80% islandwide electricity block out, not to mention loss of water and livestock – what a catastrophe! And if that was not enough, Hurricane sandy claimed the life of an elderly man who resided in Bedward Gardens, August Town. The elder was killed by a displaced bolder that fell on his board house. He died on the spot.

Did hurricane Sandy catch you by surprise?

Many Jamaicans lamented that Hurricane Sandy caught them by surprise.  In an article  featured in the Western Mirror newspaper, Pastor Dylan Toussaint suggested several reasons why many Jamaicans believed Sandy caught them by surprise. Toussaint believes: 

  • The name ‘Sandy’ did not come off as a serious storm.
  • Some people believe that only hurricanes “male-names” (like Gilbert, Charlie, and Ivan) pose any real threat to Jamaica in any given hurricane season.
  • Sandy, within a couple of hours, upgraded from a minor to a major storm.
  • It was unusual for a major storm to be formed so late in the hurricane season.
  • When hurricane Sandy landed on Jamaican soil, her accompanying wind seemed to be coming from a westerly direction rather than a southerly direction, as was expected.


Looking forward 

JNGI Catastrophe Response Team visiting with customers that were affected by the passage of hurricane Sandy and providing relief supplies.



One of the parishes most badly affected by Hurricane Sandy is St. Thomas. In response, the Jamaica National Building Society (JNBS) hosted a post-hurricane JN Leading with ACT!ON Community Meeting at the Anglican Church Hall on North Street in Morant Bay on Sunday, October 28, 2012 at 2pm. The meeting was held in an effort to ascertain the level of damage that was caused by the passing of the hurricane as well as to devise strategies for speedy recovery of the parish. The meeting will also provided representatives of the JN Group the opportunity to advise residents of the JN Group Disaster Recovery Programme. 


Another community meeting will be held in Portland this Sunday (November 4). All JNBS members, community leaders, homeowners, concerned citizens and residents of the parish are invited to attend. 

Look out for our live Twitter and Facebook coverage of the JN Leading with ACT!ON Community Meeting on Sunday!