Parottee residents reject relocation plan after Hurricane Melissa devastation

Residents of Parottee in St. Elizabeth are pushing back against a proposed government relocation after Hurricane Melissa caused major damage across the coastal community. Their message on Tuesday was firm: they do not intend to leave the place many say has supported their families for generations.

Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness has announced that residents who are unable to rebuild will be moved, though the transcript does not state where the new location would be. Residents said the plan has caused alarm because they depend on the sea and have not been given enough direct consultation. One resident said people had simply heard they would have to relocate, without a town hall meeting to explain the proposal.

The destruction in Parottee remains visible. A boat thrown inland by the sea ended up near the remains of a backyard pool, offering one sign of the force of the hurricane. At the same time, blocks, steel, sand and other building supplies show that repairs are already well under way. Some two-storey structures are also being restored, reflecting the community's determination to rebuild where it stands.

Several residents said relocation would threaten their livelihoods. One fisherman described himself as the third generation in his family to work from the sea, saying he would have nowhere to keep his gear or boat if moved away from the coast. Another resident said he had already spent more than $5 million repairing his house after Hurricane Melissa and rejected the idea of moving into a container-type home.

For many in Parottee, the issue is not only housing but survival. Residents say their homes, work and community life are rooted in the shoreline, and they are insisting that any recovery plan must recognise that reality.