St. James Ramps Up Hurricane Readiness

With the 2025 Atlantic Hurricane Season officially under way and projected to be highly active, the St. James Municipal Corporation is ramping up disaster preparedness efforts across the parish.

During the Corporation’s Disaster Preparedness, Hazard Mitigation and Safety Committee meeting on Thursday (June 19), Spatial Planner, Ricardo Miller, reported that a sensitisation workshop was conducted with 33 shelter managers on June 13 as part of the parish’s hurricane-readiness efforts.

Mr. Miller said the workshop focused on essential health and safety protocols within shelters, emergency response coordination and the mobilisation of first-aid responders to ensure that facilities operate effectively during a crisis.

The session was conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), St. James Public Health Department, Jamaica Fire Brigade, and Jamaica Red Cross.

“We also conducted a hurricane-preparedness workshop at the Hyatt Zilara Hotel, located in Rose Hall, with 30 members of staff of the Corporation,” Mr. Miller indicated.

In a bid to further bolster readiness, he advised that inspections were conducted at off-site storage facilities and updated inventory records have been submitted to the Corporation’s procurement office.

Meanwhile, support continues for residents already impacted by severe weather events and other disasters such as fire.

Mr. Miller noted that in May, 10 fire victims received relief supplies and building materials as part of the Corporation’s ongoing assistance efforts.

The parish of St. James has approximately 59 active emergency shelters, all of which are currently in a state of readiness for the hurricane season.

For his part, Chairman of the Disaster Preparedness, Hazard Mitigation and Safety Committee, Councillor Arthur Lynch, provided updates on drainage infrastructure maintenance.

He noted that while no major blockages, overflows, or collapses have been reported in drains across Montego Bay, the Corporation remains committed to ongoing inspections, cleaning, and necessary repairs to maintain infrastructure resilience.

“As for the North Gully, the team there continues to carry out monthly maintenance as well,” Mr. Lynch noted.

The 2025 Atlantic Hurricane Season, which runs from June 1 to November 30, is expected to bring between 13 and 19 named storms, six to 10 hurricanes, and three to five major hurricanes.

In attendance at the meeting were representatives from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS), National Water Commission (NWC), Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), and Jamaica Red Cross, among others.

They were joined by Deputy Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Dwight Crawford, and other Councillors.