Life on the line - Woman makes desperate plea for sick and elderly in darkened Clarendon district

A Florida-based woman is pleading for urgent attention to be given to her mother's community in Crawle River, Clarendon, where residents have been left in the dark for more than a week following the passage of Hurricane Melissa.

Samantha Gardner told THE STAR that her elderly mother, who suffers from a chronic respiratory illness, depends on a nebuliser to breathe properly - a device that cannot be used without electricity.

"My mother's condition could get worse if power isn't restored soon," Gardner said. "She depends heavily on her nebuliser, and without it, she struggles to breathe."

The situation is just as dire for others in the small rural community. Gardner said a special needs child who also relies on a breathing machine has been forced to use an inhaler as a temporary substitute - one that offers little relief.

"They can't use their machines, so they're trying to manage with inhalers, but that doesn't help much," she explained. "I'm really worried for them and for all the vulnerable people who can't move around. Some don't even have proper homes left after the hurricane."

Hurricane Melissa, which slammed into Jamaica last Tuesday, left thousands without electricity as power lines and poles were ripped apart across multiple parishes. While restoration efforts are ongoing, Gardner fears that Crawle River may be overlooked due to its remote location.

"I know there is no set date when electricity will be restored, but I am begging the government to consider this community as a priority," she said.

The community of Crawle River is located about 24 kilometres (approximately 15 miles) from the parish capital of May Pen. The entire Clarendon is without power. Just under 50 per cent of JPS customers islandwide are without electricity.

On Monday, Hugh Grant, president and CEO of the JPS, said the company's infrastructure has been severely damaged by the storm.

"The reality that the high voltage transmission lines, which are the backbone of the system, more than 70 per cent are out of power due to the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa," Grant said at a government press briefing.

"I had a chance to do a helicopter patrol and our steel lattice structure, which is one of our more hardened facilities was twisted and on the ground just due to this devastation," he said.

Grant said the company was undertaking damage assessments, and once completed, it will be in a better position to give clear timelines for the full restoration of power islandwide.