Jamaicans Urged To Heighten Hurricane Preparedness

Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, is imploring Jamaicans to heighten preparedness for any eventualities during the 2021 Atlantic Hurricane season, which got under way on June 1 and runs through to November 30.

The Meteorological Service of Jamaica is reporting that the forecast is for 13 to 20 tropical storms to develop, of which six to 10 could become hurricanes, and three to five could develop into major hurricanes of categories three, four or five.

Minister McKenzie, who was addressing a special sitting of the Hanover Municipal Corporation recently, said that while Government is in a state of readiness, residents must put measures in place to ensure that they can “withstand whatever comes during this hurricane season”.

“We have put in place the necessary mechanisms. The Prime Minister has, in fact, launched the National Disaster Council and we are, therefore, in a state of readiness but as a country, we can only be ready to a certain extent,” he said, noting that citizens have a key role to play in the country’s preparedness.

The Minister noted that the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Social Development Commission (SDC) and the Parish Disaster Coordinator will ensure that all is in place to respond if a hurricane hits.

Meanwhile, Mr. McKenzie said that the dumping of garbage into drains and gullies remains a serious problem that leads to the pollution of waterways and coastal zones.

He noted that the indiscriminate disposal of solid waste clogs and diminishes the free flow of drains, resulting in area and mass flooding especially during a hurricane.

“[We]  can clean as many drains as you want to, but if people continue to dispose of the waste in our drains and in our gullies and with little regard for other people’s lives and property… we are seeing the stage being set for serious effects on low-lying areas across the country,” Mr. McKenzie said.

“I want to urge the country as we get deeper into the hurricane season to be a little bit more understanding, to practise some level of decency in how they dispose of their waste,” he noted further.