The Government yesterday armed itself with emergency powers to ensure the maintenance of public order as Jamaica braced itself to take a pummelling from Hurricane Ivan, which played a cheeky cat-and-and-mouse game with the island.
As torrential showers intensified by mid-afternoon and forecasters predicted that the eye of the storm would be over the island by early today, Prime Minister P J Patterson announced that he had written to the governor-general, Sir Howard Cooke, asking to declare a period of public emergency."The hurricane is likely to endanger public safety and has the potential to deprive the community of essential supplies and services as well," Patterson said in a statement, justifying his decision.
Patterson had on Thursday warned that he would not hesitate to take such an action if he felt it necessary in the aftermath of the hurricane and pointed to the precedence of Hurricane Gilbert in 1988 when such powers were used.
A state of public emergency, which can stay in force for up to month unless extended by Parliament, allows wide powers to the security forces, without the usual constitutional restraint and protection of individual freedoms.
Under section 26 of the Constitution, the power can be invoked in the event of an imminent war "or as a result of the occurrence of any earthquake, hurricane, flood, fire, outbreak of pestilence, outbreak of infectious disease or other calamity" which pose threats to public safety or can deprive the community "of supplies and services essential to life".
"It is clear that the severity of this hurricane will have extremely serious effects as predicted," Patterson said.
Opposition Leader Edward Seaga, who took such an action after Gilbert, which killed 45 people and left about US$800 million in damage, declared Patterson's action as "premature and one taken in panic".
"This PM has never been through a hurricane of this intensity and is therefore panicking," Seaga said. He also believed the foundation for the decision to be flimsy and, possibly, unconstitutional.
At one o'clock in the afternoon yesterday, Ivan, which earlier in the week left a trail of damage and death in the southern Caribbean, was about 88 miles south southeast of the Jamaican capital of Kingston and was moving west northwest at about 12 miles an hour. That was slower than the 15 miles an hour at which it was heading towards Jamaica and even slower than its pace earlier in the week.
"This motion is expected to continue, bringing the core of the hurricane close to Jamaica's coastline tonight or early Saturday," the Meteorological Office said.
Initially, it was expected that the hurricane would have affected Jamaica between Thursday night and Friday before heading towards Cuba and South Florida in the United States.
Yesterday, Ivan packed maximum sustained winds of 143 mph, with even higher gusts, making it a dangerous category five storm, but a downgrade from the category five status it reached on Thursday.
Its hurricane force winds extended outward for 59 miles, while its storm force winds reached as far as 117 miles from its centre.
On Thursday, emergency management and relief officials urged up to half-a-million people living in low-lying coastal and flood-prone areas to leave their homes and head for shelter. But by yesterday afternoon, only 3,000 people were in shelters monitored by the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), officials said. Some people, however, had moved in with family and friends.
At Port Royal, on the spit that shelters Kingston Harbour, about half its 2,000 residents remained defiant, insisting that they would ride out the storm in their modest homes. Most of the elderly and very young had relented from their position on Thursday and had gone into shelters.
"We might leave safe and run for unsure," said Lolita Morrel, who, insisted in remaining in one of the town's barrack-style wood and concrete apartments. "We are always lucky."
Her sister Yvette agreed.
Port Royal was a 17th century haunt for buccaneers and favourite hang-out of Henry Morgan until half of the town was sunk into the sea after an earthquake and tidal wave in 1697.
Evoking that swashbuckling spirit, young and middle-aged people gathered in the town's small square, saying it would not take a hurricane to move them from the town.
If it came to the worse, residents said, they could find shelter in the more than 300-year-old St Peter's Church, in whose front courtyard, according to legend, one man was swallowed up then spat out in the 1697 earthquake. "We are not leaving," said Janile Isaac. "Port Royal is blessed and safe."
A few miles along the narrow neck of land, closer to Kingston, large crowds watched spectacular storm surges along the windward side of the Palisadoes dump driftwood into the road as the sea became increasingly angry.
Across the road, at the sheltered harbour side of the spit, the sea remained calm, but swollen - Ivan's force having not yet transcended the barrier.
In downtown Kingston at early afternoon more than a few remaining hawkers did a reasonable trade selling batteries, candles, kerosene lantern and soft drinks to people still stocking up on last-minute supplies.
"My sister owns a store, so we bring out these things on the road," said Paul Yap who admitted to brisk trade in his blue and yellow lanterns.
A Jamaica armoured personnel carrier cruised through the city's streets and police patrols were also evident.
"As we said before, we are ready, we are prepared," said police spokesperson Supt Ramsay.
