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...

Director General at the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), Commander Alvin Gayle, says that more than 36,000 food packages have been delivered to people who were severely impacted by the passage of Hurricane Melissa. Giving an update at a Special Press Briefing for Hurricane Melissa Recovery, held at Jamaica House in Kingston on Thursday (November 6), he...

The Government’s coordination of relief in response to Hurricane Melissa will be bolstered by support from the United Nations Office for Project Service (UNOPS). The disclosure was made by Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, during Thursday’s (November 6) special press briefing, focused on recovery from category-five Hurricane Melissa, at Jamaica House....

Approximately 90,000 families in western Jamaica were directly affected by the passage of Hurricane Melissa on October 28. This is according to the initial damage assessment by Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management ODPEM), which also indicated that more than 120,000 buildings lost their roofs. Newly appointed Director General at ODPEM, Commander Alvin Gayle, gave the update on Thursday...