Residents in St. Elizabeth, Jamaica, still reeling three months after Hurricane Beryl

Three months after Hurricane Beryl swept through St. Elizabeth, residents of Goshen, particularly pensioners and PATH beneficiaries who depend on the local postal agency, continue to struggle with the disruption.

The Category 4 storm, which brushed the island on July 3, caused severe damage to the roof of the Goshen postal agency, forcing its closure and the relocation of services to the Pepper and Santa Cruz post offices. The closure has created a significant inconvenience for residents who rely on the post office, including local farmers who used the facility to consult with specialists from the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) on a weekly basis.

“This facility serves so many persons in and outside of Goshen, so we’d be more than happy to have it back here to serve our community members instead of them taking a taxi out to Santa Cruz to pick up mail or go out to the RADA office. RADA came here once per week. Also, the Post Mistress sometimes takes her lunch time to bring stuff to the vulnerable and it is more difficult for her to leave Pepper to come to them now,” said Kemesha Clarke, public relations officer for the Goshen Community Development Committee.