Director General of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), Commander Alvin Gayle, says 88 shelters remain operational across nine parishes, currently housing approximately 1,100 citizens, two weeks after the passage of Hurricane Melissa on October 28. The hurricane displaced approximately 30,000 households and inflicted damage on more than 130,000 buildings, ranging from partial roof loss to complete...

The National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) is engaging additional trucks and contractors as the agency works to clear the increase in garbage across the island, says Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie. He noted that the debris caused by Hurricane Melissa has added to the regular residential and commercial waste, and teams across the island...

Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Richard Vernon, is imploring residents of St. James to avoid using unsafe routes and to heed the warnings of emergency personnel. “Almost all roadways across St. James are now accessible with the exception of Spring Mount and the road leading to Cambridge via Montpelier and Seven Rivers,” he informed. “We do not recommend persons crossing...

WPM Waste Management Limited has intensified clean-up operations across St. James, following the passage of Hurricane Melissa on October 28, with night shifts now being activated to clear mini dumps and restore cleanliness across Montego Bay. Speaking with JIS News after a meeting of the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), held at the St. James Municipal Corporation on November 6, Regional...

Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, has reiterated the Government’s commitment to ensuring Jamaica’s quick recovery following the passage of Hurricane Melissa. Minister McKenzie made the comment while touring sections of Falmouth, Trelawny, to assess hurricane-related damages on Saturday (November 8). Key locations visited include the Falmouth market, municipal buildings, and shelters. “Everywhere I have been...

More than 8,000 care packages have been distributed to residents across St. James as part of coordinated relief efforts led by the St. James Municipal Corporation, in partnership with several government agencies and volunteer groups. Mayor of Montego Bay and Chairman of the Corporation, Councilors Richard Vernon, said that the parish-wide initiative has been “organised and robust” since the start...

Following the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa on October 28, business owners in St. Thomas have united to mobilise a series of donations for communities most severely impacted by the disaster in western Jamaica. Dubbed ‘St. Thomas Helping Hands’, the initiative has facilitated the assembly of more than 700 care packages, to date, containing food, clothing, and personal items. Additional...