Author: Steve Brown

Civil defense workers cut down trees that were downed by strong winds caused by Hurricane Beryl’s passage in Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico, on July 5, 2024. Hurricane Beryl made landfall on Friday near the resort town of Tulum on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, packing severe winds, US forecasters said. With maximum sustained winds of 100 mph (160 kph), it is a Category 2 hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center, and is less powerful than when Beryl battered Caribbean islands earlier this week. (Photo by Elizabeth Lewis/AFP) CANCUN, Mexico (AFP) — Hurricane Beryl struck Mexico near the resort town of Tulum…

Portmore Mayor Leon Thomas led the clean-up efforts in the city following Hurricane Beryl on Thursday. (Photo: Tamoi Ashman) A day after Category 4 Hurricane Beryl pounded Jamaica’s south coast with heavy winds and rain, Portmore Mayor Leon Thomas said preliminary assessments showed only minor damage across the “Sunshine City,” and city officials were working to clear fallen trees that had blocked several roads. “We’ve been clearing roads since (Wednesday) night and the Hellshire main road is open again, the Dunbeholden main road is also open. The Greater Portmore roundabout is also open and that area has been cleared of…

Rhaenyra Targaryen (right) and Alicent Hightower in a scene from Season 2, Episode 3 of House of the Dragon (Photo: Twitter/@rhaenicentfiles, HBO) This week’s episode begins with a showdown between two rival Tully-affiliated houses, the Blackwoods and the Brackens. These villains are like the Hatfields and McCoys of Westeros, using their loyalty to the black and green teams, respectively, to settle old scores and wage a bloody border war. As the camera pans through the gruesome scene, we see the recently murdered Lord Samuel Blackwood with a sword to his throat; dead cows (yes, Betsy wasn’t saved); thousands of bloody…

Govana chats with the audience at Fanatic last week. By Kevin Jackson Observer reporter entertainment@jamaicaobserver.com July 5, 2024 With school out, Fanatic is the perfect place for college students to unwind and party until the early hours of the morning. The event has been dubbed a can’t-miss for young people, with the third performance of The Fanatic being sold out last Friday night at the Lanny Williams Entertainment Center. Starting as early as 10pm, patrons started trickling in and were greeted with the musical stylings of DJ Stepho who immediately catered to their…

Dr Nigel Clarke, Minister for Finance and the Public Service; Finance Minister Dr Nigel Clarke said money would be drawn from both the Emergency Fund and the Natural Disasters Fund to cover recovery expenditure from the effects of Hurricane Beryl. The fund is part of a multi-tiered funding package put in place by the Government to help the country “respond, recover and rebuild” after natural disasters. In a statement to the Jamaica Observer late Thursday, Clarke said funds set aside in the previous year would be utilised whilst an assessment was carried out as to whether other sources of funding…

Rajendra Jadusingh proved to be the fastest man of the night at Asphalt Assault: Wet ‘n’ Slide at Palisades International Raceway on Saturday, June 22. (Photo by Rory Daly) The Asphalt Assault Series may have had a late start to its season, but the pace quickly picked up with exciting racing right down to the end at “Wet ‘n Slide,” an action-packed event on Saturday, June 22, at Palisadoes International Raceway in Kingston. “The event went well. The team is tired but ecstatic because it was a great event. There was a great turnout, the competition was great, the spectators…

Agricultural processing companies that operate large farms in the country have reported significant damage to their crops, with at least one, Jamaica Producers, saying most of its banana trees have died and warning of shortages in the coming months.Jamaica Producers Group CEO Geoffrey Hall said in an interview with the Jamaica Observer on Thursday that more than 90 percent of the company’s St. Mary Farm’s banana crop had been destroyed.”This is a disaster for the entire industry,” said Hall, whose company, Jamaica Producers, is the English-speaking Caribbean’s largest banana exporter and operates plantations in Jamaica.Hall said more than 300 acres…

Business lobby groups are currently assessing the impact of Hurricane Beryl, which passed over the island on Wednesday but left a trail of devastating damage and service disruptions. Homes and businesses affected by the powerful Category 4 storm on Thursday have begun estimating the potential damage and the extent of the impact, if any. The Jamaica Bankers Association (JBA), the umbrella body for commercial banks, said in a notice on Thursday that the majority of the country’s financial institutions are working to fully restore banking services to the public. “Our member institutions will continue to share updates with customers regarding…

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) — The regional integration movement, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), on Thursday celebrated the 51st anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Chaguaramas. In a message, CARICOM Secretary-General Dr Carla Barnett said the anniversary comes at a time when several Member States are assessing the extensive damage and destruction caused by Hurricane Beryl, the oldest Category 5 hurricane recorded in the Atlantic Ocean and one of the most dangerous weather events the region has experienced. She also pointed to the postponement of this year’s summit. “These circumstances have forced us to postpone the 47th Regular Meeting of…

All the banana trees have fallen on this farm in Westmoreland. (Photo: Rosalie Wood) KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mines said several of its facilities and agricultural projects were damaged by the passage of Hurricane Beryl on Wednesday. At Bodles Research Station, one of the citrus seedling warehouses collapsed, destroying one of the two seedling facilities located there, and one of the mother plant warehouses was also damaged. The ministry said in a statement on Thursday that 100 percent of the station’s commercial crops were also damaged, and that a packing warehouse was also lost. A…