EOC In St. Elizabeth Fully Operational

The Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) in St. Elizabeth is fully operational and prepared to respond to Tropical Storm Melissa, which could pose a threat to Jamaica within the next 48 hours.

Following an emergency disaster meeting on Tuesday, October 21, Acting Parish Disaster Coordinator at the St. Elizabeth Municipal Corporation, Rasha Lloyd, told JIS News that all supporting agencies have reported a state of readiness as the parish braces for the potential impact of the tropical system.

“As it relates to our [87] shelters in the parish, all of those were inspected. Our shelter managers are in place, and they were put on standby yesterday,” said Ms. Lloyd.

She noted that the parish previously had 88 shelters, but one located in Flagaman remains out of operation after being destroyed by Hurricane Beryl in 2024. Residents from that area are now being encouraged to seek shelter at the Pedro Plains Primary and Infant School or the Seaview Primary and Infant School if the need arises.

“Our distribution of relief items to the shelters, we have commenced that, and we’re also still awaiting some relief items that we expect to get by the end of today, and then we will continue with the release into tomorrow,” Ms. Lloyd outlined.

She indicated that the parish’s EOC, headquartered at the Black River Fire Station, is fully functional with its generator ready and all supporting equipment, including a chainsaw, in working condition.

A secondary generator at the Municipal Corporation is also ready for use in the event of an emergency, she noted.

In the meantime, heavy equipment operators have been placed on standby by the Roads and Works Superintendent, and the parish has also completed preseason drain cleaning, with ongoing maintenance continuing.

“As it relates to our food items, we have memoranda of understanding with supermarkets, and they were also placed on standby,” Ms. Lloyd said.

“So, we continue to update our social media pages, such as Instagram and WhatsApp with the latest information as we receive them from the ODPEM,” she added.

St. Elizabeth was among the parishes hardest hit by Hurricane Beryl that caused severe damage to infrastructure and agriculture.

As such, Ms. Lloyd has urged residents not to take the threat of Tropical Storm Melissa lightly. Instead, she encouraged everyone to make the necessary preparations to safeguard lives and property.

All key agencies, including the Jamaica Fire Brigade, Jamaica Constabulary Force, National Works Agency, Jamaica Public Service, Ministry of Labour and Social Security, the Social Development Commission and the Ministry of Health & Wellness were represented at the meeting, either in person or online.