Power outage makes residents miss gold rush »

Power outage makes residents miss gold rush

Regular churchgoer Janique McKenzie skipped worship on Sunday to watch the Olympic women's 100-metre final on television.

Unfortunately, a power outage left McKenzie unable to watch the strides of Jamaica's women who copped a gold and two silver medals in the race.

"I was so cut up about it," said McKenzie, a resident of Mount View Estate in St Catherine.

"It's not the same as listening to it on the radio as you don't get to see the strides of the ladies as they go down the track."

Like McKenzie, hundreds of Jamaicans islandwide were unable to watch Sunday morning's historic race, live from Beijing, China.

Without electricity

Many communities throughout Jamaica, in St Ann, Clarendon, Manchester, Hanover, West-moreland, St Thomas, St Catherine, Kingston and St Andrew, were without electricity on Saturday and on Sunday.

Winsome Callum, head of corporate communications at the Jamaica Public Service Company Ltd (JPS), said its power system was affected by weather conditions associated with Tropical Storm Fay, which passed 100 miles north of the island Saturday night.

Callum said that in areas that were affected by weather conditions including lightning, its system would have chipped out to protect itself from damage.

"We are very cognisant of the events of the Olympics, so JPS has put in the necessary precautions, but Mother Nature intervened," said Callum. "(There is) so much that can be done and no more."

Acted swiftly

Callum said the company acted swiftly to restore electricity to the affected communities. She said power was restored to some 22 communities that were affected.

Edna Wright, an 84-year-old of St Thomas who was also unable to watch the Games live and see Usain Bolt's medal ceremony, was peeved.

"I just can't trust JPS, have to ensure that we have a generator," she said.

Wright was displeased that she had to phone friends to find out the result of the race.

Cancellation

JPS has cancelled today's advertised planned maintenance work for sections of Clarendon. The light and power company had advertised on radio yesterday that many communities in the parish would have been without power between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

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