WESTMORELAND, Jamaica — Dr. Dayton Campbell, Member of Parliament for Westmoreland Eastern, has issued a urgent call for his constituency to be declared a disaster area in the wake of the catastrophic destruction caused by Hurricane Melissa, a Category Five storm. The hurricane has left a trail of devastation across the region, with Westmoreland Eastern bearing the brunt of the impact. Dr. Campbell revealed that out of the 19 fatalities reported islandwide, 10 occurred in his constituency. The scale of the damage is staggering, with an estimated 1,000 homes completely obliterated, leaving residents without shelter. Many board houses have been reduced to rubble, rendering them uninhabitable. The infrastructure has also been severely compromised, with roadways blocked and residents resorting to chainsaws and machetes to create single-lane access. Communication remains limited, and critical facilities such as schools, health centers, police stations, post offices, and petrol stations have sustained significant damage. Dr. Campbell emphasized the need for immediate assistance, urging the National Works Agency (NWA) to collaborate with contractors to clear the roads swiftly. He has been in contact with the Minister of Works, who has responded positively, but communication challenges have hindered outreach to the parish manager. Dr. Campbell stressed that his appeal is not politically motivated but a genuine plea for the suffering residents. He called for the declaration of a disaster area to mobilize emergency services and provide much-needed relief. Relief distribution centers have already been established at the Whitehouse Community Centre and in Darliston, with plans to expand to additional locations to distribute food and water to affected residents.