St. Mary Steps Up Hurricane Preparedness
By: , June 17, 2026
Photo: Mickella Anderson-Gordon
Mayor of Port Maria, Councillor Fitzroy Wilson (left), observes as an NEPM Waste Management Limited worker prepares to remove debris from an area in Port Maria during a hurricane-preparedness exercise on June 14.
Photo: Mickella Anderson-Gordon
A Jamaica Fire Brigade team washes the walls of a building during a major hurricane-preparedness exercise in Port Maria on June 14, observed by Mayor Fitzroy Wilson (second left).
Photo: Mickella Anderson-Gordon
Mayor of Port Maria, Councillor Fitzroy Wilson (right), guides a Jamaica Fire Brigade team during a major hurricane-preparedness exercise in the St. Mary parish capital on June 14.The Full Story
The St. Mary Municipal Corporation is bolstering the parish’s resilience for the 2026 Atlantic Hurricane Season, undertaking extensive drain-cleaning and flood-mitigation activities across Port Maria over the weekend of June 13 to 14.
The comprehensive preparedness exercise brought together several agencies and community stakeholders, including the Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB), the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), and NEPM Waste Management Limited.
The operation involved cleaning drains, flushing underground drainage networks, removing debris and garbage from waterways, and sanitising sections of the town following the clean-up activities.
Approximately 20 community labourers have been engaged to assist with drain cleaning and related activities.
Mayor of Port Maria and Chairman of the Municipal Corporation, Councillor Fitzgerald Wilson, noted that the initiative forms part of the Corporation’s ongoing strategy to reduce flood risks in the parish capital, which has long been recognised as a flood-prone area.
“We are embarking on a multi-faceted approach. We have been cleaning drains since [June 12, and] we are now collaborating with NEPM. We have the police organising and maintaining traffic for us [and] we have the Jamaica Fire Brigade. So we will be flushing all those drains that are underground and ensuring that, in case there’s excess rainfall, it can actually run off. It is something that we’ve done over the years, and we have realised that it is working,” he told JIS News.
Meanwhile, Mayor Wilson stressed that proactive preparation can significantly lessen the impact of heavy rainfall and flooding on residents and businesses.
“We need to prepare, and that is what we’re doing. We’re preparing to see how best we can mitigate flooding,” he said.
Beyond the immediate clean-up efforts, the Municipal Corporation has reinforced several key components of its disaster-preparedness programme.
These include renovations to the parish’s Emergency Operations Centre, testing of tsunami warning sirens, inspections of emergency shelters, and consultations with shelter managers across St. Mary.
Councillor Wilson revealed that, beyond Port Maria, drain-cleaning activities are also scheduled for Annotto Bay and other communities.
Funding has also been allocated to all 13 electoral divisions since May, to facilitate pre-hurricane drain maintenance activities.
The Atlantic Hurricane Season runs annually from June 1 to November 30.
