When Hurricane Sandy tore through Jamaica on October 24, many expected that the Category One winds would have immobilised the country’s infrastructure and severely interrupt commerce.
Refreshingly, many businesses were up and running the very next day. Vital to the safety and economic well-being of any country post-disaster is the restoration of electricity and other essential services.
The Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS), in concert with other agencies such as the National Water Commission and the National Works Agency, accelerated the process of recovery admirably so that the country’s commercial life was not crippled.
Many Jamaicans grew impatient, but the majority recognised that these crews were working for many continuous hours.
The Sunday Gleaner’s tribute to the JPS team, calling them ‘Unsung heroes’, was well deserved. Work crews certainly went beyond the call of duty, often without regard for personal circumstances. We offer sincere condolences to the family of the worker who was killed in St Ann.
Reliability is one aspect of utilities that few appreciate until they are not there. The country should show its gratitude to these dedicated men and women in a fitting manner.
When the performance of JPS is pitted against the better-resourced United States (US), it is interesting to note that approximately 1.4 million homes and businesses in New York City, New Jersey and Connecticut remain in the dark, without heating, a week after the storm strengthened and roared ashore.
Jamaicans accustomed to being battered by hurricanes appear to have learnt the hard lessons of disaster recovery. Perhaps the US will also learn the hard way.
Read more: