Angelo Laurence, Gleaner Writer

MANDEVILLE, Manchester:

Hurricane Dean has reportedly claimed the life of at least one person in Manchester.

Unconfirmed reports out of Mandeville are that the vehicle in which the man was travelling was lifted by the strong winds and thrown against a utility pole.

The accident is said to have occurred at approximately 12:10 Monday morning.

His body was taken to Lyn's Funeral Home to await autopsy and investigation. The name of the dead man has not been ascertained.

Apart from the accident, Hurricane Dean left behind blocked roads, flooded drains and many persons without a roof over their heads. Several schools have also suffered the same fate.

The town of Mandeville suffered mostly from fallen trees and roof damage.

However, two homes on Gibson Close were almost completely submerged with occupants still trapped inside. When The Gleaner visited the area, residents could still be seen peering out the windows.

Manchester hard hit

The community of Porus, located just outside Mandeville, suffered extensive wind damage to several homes.

South Manchester seems to have been hardest hit as was the case with the 2004 passage of hurricanes Ivan and Emily.

The roof of the Marlie Hill Primary School, a designated shelter, was blown away.

According to Councillor Icilda Brown, who was out with a chainsaw helping to clear the roads, approximately 200 persons were seriously affected by the hurricane and are in need of food, water and shelter at this time.

The situation is the same for other communities such as Plowden, Thatch Walk and Cocoa Walk.

Alligator Pond was also seriously affectedby flooding. The residents had refused to evacuate before the hurricane transportation was provided.

In the meantime, the Jamaica Red Cross, located in the Rural Agricultural Development Authority building on Caledonia Road, is busy trying to assist the scores of persons who have turned up requesting help.