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THERE is anxiety and worry on the ground as Jamaicans continue to brace and prepare for the onslaught of Hurricane Melissa, which is expected to make landfall on October 28 as a category three hurricane. St Thomas and Portland, two parishes located on the eastern side of the island, had already begun to feel the effects on October 26, including flooding, strong winds and storm surge.
Newsday spoke to four residents about what they and those around them were doing to prepare for the hurricane, which has been sitting off the coast of Jamaica for several days.
As of 5 pm on October 26, Melissa remained a dangerous category four hurricane with winds at 145 miles per hour, situated 115 miles south-south-west of the capital Kingston. It is also forecast to affect Cuba and Haiti.
Speaking to Newsday via WhatsApp, University of Technology lecturer Dr Kai Barratt said people in Jamaica had a rhythm in preparing for hurricanes which they had developed since Hurricane Gilbert in 1988, the last major hurricane to make landfall in Jamaica.
“The strangest thing is the obsession with bread. It was the first thing to disappear from shelves. You saw people stocking up on food, because that was the priority and drinking water because usually you don’t get water for a while. If they cut the water you might not get water for a couple days, or more for people in rural areas. A lot of people were stocking up on medicine. The gas stations were also full of people.”
She said people had been stocking up on batteries, and for those who could afford them, solar powered devices.
“It’s the typical thing, people who have money could buy all the things they need to prep to protect their homes, and the people without, they’re not going to. In any disaster, the vulnerable, the poor, the homeless, that’s who we have to worry about.”
Barratt said in Kingston, located in the southeastern part of the island, people were worried about flooding because of unbridled development.
She said the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) had sent out a list of shelters but she wasn’t sure if everyone was aware of the information.
“Some people would be more informed than others, but people are really worried about the people in the flood-prone areas because from what we’re hearing, it’s going to rain a lot, so they’re worried about how we’re going to manage the flooding.”
Land manager Amelia Dunn from St Andrew said some businesses and fast-food restaurants were still open and people were on the road buying items.
“Some people have gotten plywood to board up windows, they’ve bought the typical food supplies, perishable and non-perishable items, water supplies, gas cylinders, solar-powered items like chargers, power banks, fans because we expect to be out of electricity for a really long time.
“Some of the houses in my area have already pulled down their awnings and are trying to strengthen whatever parts of the house they think are vulnerable points. Debris is a number-one concern for me. Commercial areas seem to be more prepared in terms of taking means to secure their buildings.
"As someone who lives alone, my neighbours said if anything goes wrong I could call and they would come over.”
She said according to Jamaica’s principal meteorologist, the effects would begin to be felt late on October 26.
“They’ve always said because it’s slow-moving we’re going to experience hurricane conditions for multiple days. It’s not really about focusing on landfall alone except for the fact that it’s going to be the most intense and risky period.”

Resident: Not sure when Melissa will hit

In Westmoreland, located at the northwestern end of Jamaica, a resident told Newsday that people had started to clear debris and trees from around their houses.
“Some people bought extra materials to batten their windows and so forth, some people put on building blocks on their roofs. Luckily my roof is not a zinc roof, so there was no need to do that. We stocked up on water and dry goods as much as possible. One of the issues is that people had to buy multiple times because we weren’t certain when the hurricane would have landed. At first we were told over the weekend, then Monday, now we’re hearing Tuesday, it’s just to keep rationing the items we have.”
He said people were saying the government had waited too late to start cleaning the gullies/water courses.
“The government is doing what it can. So far, they have posted information about the emergency shelters, who are the disaster commanders for the various regions and we do get updates via social media as we go along.”
A source at one of the major hotels said the hotels had their own plans and policies which they had begun putting in place.
“They pull in any watercraft they may have, take up chairs and stuff they have on the beach and try to assist any guests that may be leaving or trying to leave before the storm comes. The ones that are here, they relocate them to specific areas for ease of back and forth when it comes to mealtimes and safety, etc.
“We have identified emergency shelters and evacuation points should things get more drastic and we have to ask the guests to leave the rooms. Notifications have been sent out to the guests, letters to state what is happening with the country and the airports, where the hurricane is and information we would have received from the government.”

Jamaica govt: 881 shelters ready

According to the Jamaica Information Service, several measures have been put in place by various government agencies. During a media conference on October 26, Local Government and Community Development Minister Desmond McKenzie, said 881 shelters had been activated to accommodate individuals during and after the passage of the hurricane, with 218 people already in shelters.
Energy, Telecommunications and Transport Minister Daryl Vaz said he was satisfied with the preparedness demonstrated by the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) and the island’s telecommunications providers. He said the Jamaican Urban Transit Company (JUTC) would provide transportation for medical staff at the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH) and is prepared to respond to similar requests from the public health sector.
Water, Environment and Climate Change Minister Matthew Samuda said his ministry was working closely with several utility providers to ensure the swift restoration of water supply to critical infrastructure after the hurricane.

Sobers: TT ready to assist

Speaking at a media conference at the Foreign and Caricom Affairs Ministry on October 26, Minister Sean Sobers said the government stood ready to assist the people and government of Jamaica. He said the government was confident in the Jamaican government’s ability to handle the situation.
“We reaffirm we will take any actions we are able to take as an administration to assist Jamaica in their time of need, if required. The Prime Minister has been in contact with the government of Jamaica and I have been in contact with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Kamina Johnson Smith to reassure her of that position as well.”
Sobers also dismissed what he called salacious, egregious and foolish statements made by the Opposition and the media stating that TT’s relationship with Caricom “precluded or prohibited us from assisting our Caricom brothers and sisters if they ever called on us to assist them.
“Nothing could be further from the truth. For anybody to suggest that we as a government did not assist any Caricom nation is totally false and anyone who said anything similar should be ashamed of themselves, because there’s no reason in a situation like this to create unnecessary panic, especially when we are dealing with children and parents who are scared, as it pertains to what they may well be experiencing in the next 12-24 hours.”
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