St. James Municipal Corporation Far Advanced in Its Preparation for Hurricane Season

The St. James Municipal Corporation has enhanced its hurricane preparedness measures through a coordinated, multi-agency approach, aimed at strengthening the parish’s response capacity during the 2026 Atlantic Hurricane Season. 

Speaking at a press briefing following the Corporation’s monthly meeting on June 11, Mayor of Montego Bay and Chairman of the St. James Municipal Corporation, Councillor Richard Vernon, said extensive planning has been undertaken to improve readiness across critical areas, including shelter management, communications, transportation, infrastructure and inter-agency coordination.  

The Mayor reported that 55 emergency shelters have been identified across the parish, with the capacity to accommodate approximately 3,000 persons. 

He added that discussions are under way with the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) and the Ministry of Tourism to facilitate the use of the Montego Bay Convention Centre in the event of widespread displacement of families.  

Councillor Vernon said that generators will be procured and distributed to shelters based on identified needs to ensure continuity of operations during power outages.

Mayor Vernon reiterated the importance of achieving equity in disaster aid distribution, noting that several agencies will be tasked to coordinate their efforts to prevent oversupply or undersupply within communities.   

Meanwhile, to build on the lessons learnt from the previous hurricane season, Councillor Vernon said that the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) is working with Liberty Business to establish a more reliable backup communications system, after connectivity challenges hampered response efforts during Hurricane Melissa last October. 

“We are working with Liberty Business to identify a more stable and robust auxiliary system to provide communication across all the emergency operations centre members,” he said. 

The Corporation is also partnering with the Community Dreams Foundation to introduce a digital platform through which residents will be able to report emergencies, request assistance and provide real-time information during disasters. 

Councillor Vernon further highlighted improvements in emergency response and public safety capabilities. 

He reported that the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) has recently acquired drones that will support geomapping, post-disaster damage assessments and search-and-rescue operations. 

Additionally, flood mitigation efforts have been intensified through accelerated gully cleaning and drainage maintenance across the parish. 

Councillor Vernon said blocked waterways contributed significantly to flooding during Hurricane Melissa, prompting the Municipal Corporation and the National Works Agency (NWA) to begin pre-season cleaning activities early. 

“Since Melissa, we have made some adjustments. The drain maintenance has been ramped up,” he said. 

He indicated that the Corporation has allocated $21 million for drain-cleaning activities across the municipality during June, with additional funding to be announced later in the year. 

Other priority actions include strengthening constituency-based damage assessment systems, expanding psychosocial support teams, formalising protocols with the Jamaica Public Service (JPS) for the removal of downed utility wires, improving water supply resilience through generator procurement and solar infrastructure upgrades, and increasing private-sector compliance with disaster preparedness requirements. 

Councillor Vernon said the measures form part of the Municipal Corporation’s commitment to protecting lives and property and ensuring a swift and coordinated response throughout the hurricane season. 

“Lessons learned from Hurricane Melissa have been integrated into every response area, from communications redundancy to equitable aid distribution,” he said. 

“Our parish is prepared, coordinated, and proactive. We are not under immediate threat but readiness is continuous,” he added