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When the wild Gilbert hit Jamaica

Published:Monday | September 14, 2020 | 12:05 AM
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The Manchioneal Police Station in Portland, which housed a courthouse downstairs, was battered by Hurricane Gilbert. Only one room to the back, upstairs, was spared.
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The Manchioneal Police Station in Portland, which housed a courthouse downstairs, was battered by Hurricane Gilbert. Only one room to the back, upstairs, was spared.
September 14, 1988, ‘Daily Gleaner’ front page covering the catastrophe.
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September 14, 1988, ‘Daily Gleaner’ front page covering the catastrophe.
Houses at this tenement yard in Manchioneal, Portland, destroyed by Hurricane Gilbert.
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Houses at this tenement yard in Manchioneal, Portland, destroyed by Hurricane Gilbert.
Zinc sheets seen lodged in this tree, a common sight throughout the city of Kingston in the aftermath of Gilbert’s destruction.
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Zinc sheets seen lodged in this tree, a common sight throughout the city of Kingston in the aftermath of Gilbert’s destruction.
A car washed up on a sidewalk during Hurricane Gilbert on September 12, 1988.
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A car washed up on a sidewalk during Hurricane Gilbert on September 12, 1988.
This twin-engine Cessna aircraft ended up between the willows on the road leading into the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston after being blown off the tarmac by Hurricane Gilbert.
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This twin-engine Cessna aircraft ended up between the willows on the road leading into the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston after being blown off the tarmac by Hurricane Gilbert.
Extensive damage was done to the equipment of the Jamaica Public Service Company when Huricane Gilbert battered Jamaica. Several utility poles were uprooted and wires and equipment left dangling on the roads.
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Extensive damage was done to the equipment of the Jamaica Public Service Company when Huricane Gilbert battered Jamaica. Several utility poles were uprooted and wires and equipment left dangling on the roads.
Several persons flocked the National Arena in Kingston after being ousted from their homes by Hurricane Gilbert.
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Several persons flocked the National Arena in Kingston after being ousted from their homes by Hurricane Gilbert.
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On Monday, September 12, 1988, Hurricane Gilbert made a direct hit on Jamaica, unleashing its fury and a trail of destruction and devastation. Houses were damaged, leaving many people homeless.

The hurricane left many streets in Kingston and many other areas littered with downed utility poles, billboards, trees, and other debris.

The island’s electricity and water supply were severely affected as well. Here are some photo highlights from the Gleaner Archives.

The Gleaner Library is a rich repository of archival material – newspaper clippings, articles, photographs, cartoons. To purchase the featured photographs or other archival materials, please contact us at 876-932-6231 or email library@gleanerjm.com. Read more by subscribing at https://gleaner.newspaperarchive.com/or watch video at http://videos.jamaica-gleaner.com/videos/.