Jamaica flood watch, fire response upgrade and voter list changes headline JIS update

The Meteorological Service has placed flood-vulnerable communities in Westmoreland, St. Elizabeth, Manchester, Clarendon, St. Catherine, St. Thomas, Kingston and St. Andrew under a flash flood watch until 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 10. Senior meteorologist Rohan Brown said an active tropical wave west of Jamaica and a trough over the island are producing cloudy skies, showers and thunderstorms, with wet conditions expected to continue into Thursday and Friday. Residents in risky areas are being urged to monitor rising water, avoid fords and flooded roads, and use alternate routes.

The Jamaica Fire Brigade is preparing to open an emergency communication centre at the Waterford fire station in Portmore, supported by an automated station alert system. Local Government and Community Development Minister Desmond McKenzie said emergency details should reach relevant fire stations within 64 seconds, helping firefighters respond in about 60 seconds and bringing total response time to roughly two minutes and four seconds. Twenty-four firefighters have already been trained as emergency telecommunications operators. Kingston and St. Catherine stations will be covered first, with islandwide rollout planned in the next financial year and York Park fire station to serve as the phase-two headquarters.

McKenzie also announced a $200-million programme to expand infirmary capacity and ease pressure on public hospitals caused by social cases. The Government has allocated $54 million to restore infirmaries in St. Elizabeth, Hanover and Westmoreland that were damaged by Hurricane Melissa, while new infirmaries are planned for St. Elizabeth, Westmoreland and Trelawny. A $70-million wing is to be added to the Spanish Town infirmary this year, and $160 million has been set aside for more indigent housing units.

Culture Minister Olivia Grange said preparations remain on schedule for the September opening of the Institute for Cultural Practitioners, Innovators, Entrepreneurs and Creatives. The institute, being developed with the Caribbean Maritime University, is intended to strengthen professional training, certification and enterprise development across the cultural and creative sectors.

At Porus High School in Manchester, Jamalco has outfitted woodwork and electrical laboratories through its community development programme. State Minister Rhoda Moy Crawford welcomed the support, while Vice Principal Audrey Blake said the equipment will allow students to pursue certifications in areas such as welding and electrical installation.

The Electoral Office of Jamaica says more than 15,000 names were removed from the voters list published on May 31, while 13,882 electors were added. The list now stands at just over two million registered voters, down by more than 1,000 compared with December 2025. Newly added voters are being asked to collect identification cards by mid-June from the EOJ office in their registered constituency.