European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 17, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page / the stars and stripes saturday. September 17, 138b storm Relief readied for Texas Washington a Federal officials readied trucks equipment and personnel thursday for Quick dispatch to Texas to remedy whatever damage is in meted by Hurricane Gilbert and he military hew its planes Nat at Tana s Way. We Art bringing every resource we have do to maximum operational capability in preparedness of relocating and mitigating this problem said gnat c. Be Tenn in charge of tie oath no disaster program at the Federal emergency management Agency. The Pentagon nid tint aircraft at Natal air stations All along the Texas coastline were dispatched to acir illan Airport in Midland Sheppard fab and Biggs army Airfield All in Texas. Nay personnel and de pendent were sent to Lackland fab 130 Miles in land. The base was designated � Safe Haven for military and Nasa employees. Naval ships to the calf of Mexico were sen out to sea to Aroud the storm. Army maj. Gen. Ujj. Smith said procedures were streamlined to ensure this is not a bureaucratic slow moving  Smith is director of operations Readl neti and mobilization. The Pentagon agreed to dispatch Active duty Mili tary personnel la Back up the Texas National guard if necessary. I think it b fair to say that we recognize that we Bee the greatest weather threat that we hate Eter faced in on part of the country. We want to be certain our preparation is up to the Challenge said sen. Phil Grant it Texas. Peterson and Gramm said paper work had already been prepared to allow president Reagan to almost immediately Issue a disaster declaration and set Relief efforts in motion paring away the five to Seten Days usually needed. Truck at Fema s it Loo Texas regional head quarters North of Dallas Are loaded with gear Soch a communications equipment and electric Generator Peterson said Peterson said Federal agencies would dispatch Spanish speaking personnel and Spanish language forms and pamphlets to help communication with the sizeable hispanic population along the coast. The american red Cross said it had also began sending emergency supplies to four Hurricane watch districts at several Texas cities. The red Cross said thousands of blankets cots Comfort kits and cleanup kits were on their Way to Corpus Christl Harlingen Houston and Beaumont Texas. In addition volunteers and staff member Wen sent to san Antonio Texas and Birmingham Ahl staging areas for deployment after the storm hits. Telephone und Power lines tilt at unusual angles As residents of Kingston Jamaica Start cleaning up. Gilbert killed 26 people on the Island and left 500,000 homeless. State of emergency declared in Jamaica Kingston Jamaica a prime minister toward Saiga declared a state of emergency affecting about half of the Hurricane stricken Island s population ordering police to ensure thai stores open quickly i avoid shortages. Saga said in a nationwide radio broadcast that the one month stale of emergency including a Dawn to dusk curfew 10 prevent looting was Pul into of Eccl to enable normalcy to resume in the shortest possible Lime and to allow the rebuilding process to  at least 26 people died when Hurri Cane Gilbert inc strongest Suomi this Century swept through the Island Mon Day the government run Jamaica information service reported. Officials feared the death toll would mount As communication was re established with the Inte rior. Another five people were reported kilted in the dominican Republic and to in Haiti where the military government also declared a state of emergency thurs Day on its hard hit Southern  addition six have been reported dead in Mexico s Yucatan Peninsula. Saga said the International Airport at Monti go Bay had reopened to All traffic and the Norman Manly International Airport at Kingston was to resume full operations shortly. Three commercial airlines were flying from Kingston air port thursday. Saga said that under the emergency regulations police were empowered Leforce Gas stations and stores thai sell food and drugs to open As soon As electrical Power is available. The failure of shops to reopen has placed an unbearable Burden on official sources to provide meals through centers of  he said. The slate of Public emergency was for four of Jamaica s 14 parishes or coun ties Kingston is. Andrew St. Catherine and St. Thomas. The four parishes on the devastated cast coast account for More than i million of the Island s 2.3 million population. Women and children carried plastic containers of Walcer on their Heads and stood in line Al service stations for kerosene with which to Cook what food could be found. A Helm Etc Soldier with a Rifle and a German Shepherd guard Doe stood out Side the Home Triduc bakery and food Centre controlling inc number of people allowed inside. It was sunny and humid in the capital which was still littered with roofing toppled Utility poles and other storm de Bris. A government spokeswoman said there had been some tooling right after the Hurricane winds died Down but i appeared to be under control. The capital s two radio stations Broad cast advisories to boil water and not lot ouch downed Telephone or Power lines and passed along personal messages to Remote regions of he country. At to secured a single Telephone Linein Jamaica and began relaying one Page messages from stranded americans to worried friends and relatives Back Home an estimated 93 percent of the Island was still without electricity. Stores and hotels used gasoline powered generating plants. The 18-floor Pegasus hotel pop ular with visiting businessmen was dimly lit and without elevator  estimated inc Hurricane damage in Jamaica at 58 billion. Relief supplies began arriving for some of the country Shalf million homeless. Sports stadiums churches govern ment buildings and movie Heaters were used to House an estimated 150,000 peo ple the government said the government has said about500,000, or More than one fifth of the jamaican population was homeless. Seaga estimated 100,000 of the Island s 500,000 Homes were wiped out and a additional 300,000 had roofs ripped off or other severe  strengthened from a tropical storm into a Hurricane last saturday 160miles South of puerto Rico. In skirted the dominican Republic and Haiti on Sun Day slowed straight through Jamaica on monday brushed past the Cayman is lands tuesday and slammed into the Vul Cairn wednesday morning. The Hurri Cane on Friday was headed toward Northern Mexico and Southeastern Tenas