Cowan backs St Bess to rebound

Veteran producer and singer, Tommy Cowan, has backed the people of his native St Elizabeth to bounce back from the onslaught of Hurricane Melissa, the most powerful storm to have hit the country since record keeping began 174 years ago.

The hurricane tore through the island yesterday, leaving widespread destruction across central parishes, including St Elizabeth and Manchester, as well as western areas such as Westmoreland, St James, and Trelawny.

Cowan, who hails from New Market in St Elizabeth and organises the annual Fun in the Son Gospel Festival, expressed confidence in the resilience of local residents. "I was born in that area, and there are many times that we would have a lot of rainfall like this," he said. "New Market is a historic place when it comes to flooding. There were times when the floods would get as tall as the light posts. I am praying for them, but I know how to handle dire situations like this," he added.

The area has a history of severe flooding. In June 1979, New Market was inundated after a tropical depression swept rain across the island, with water reportedly rising up to 90 feet deep.

Cowan, alongside fellow gospel singer Carlene Davis, encouraged Jamaicans to hold fast to their faith as they begin the recovery process. "Our scripture says that it is not that we won't have trouble - [Jesus] even said that to his disciples; we will have tribulations and troubles. But what He also says is that He will never leave us nor forsake us," Cowan shared. "And, of course, we can never forget the 23rd Psalm when it says that, even though we go through the valley of the shadows of death, we will fear no evil. And that is because none of these destructive things are created by God. It might be allowed to come, but it is not him putting it on us," he added.

This marks the second time in just over a year that St Elizabeth has been hit hard by a hurricane. Last July, Hurricane Beryl caused significant damage in southern Jamaica. Yesterday, Melissa struck as a catastrophic Category 5 hurricane, levelling homes, flattening crops, and damaging critical infrastructure across the western parishes.