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Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness says Jamaicans should prepare for a prolonged period of intense rainfall and strong winds as the slow-moving Hurricane Melissa makes landfall. “The system is quite an unusual one, sitting in the Caribbean Sea for such a long time, making up its mind about where it will go. It is obvious that it now has a trajectory where we can say with great certainty that Jamaica will be impacted,” he said. The Prime Minister, who was addressing a special press briefing at Jamaica House on Saturday (Oct. 25), said that the entire island will be affected by the system. “The outer bands seem to be very wide and it is already affecting the Dominican Republic and Haiti with significant rainfall, we should expect the same,” he pointed out. He noted that the first impact will be heavy rains, followed by strong winds “and the third impact will be the length of time that it will stay if it continues to be as slow moving as it has been. We could expect anywhere from two to three days or even longer.” The Prime Minister further urged Jamaicans to use social media responsibly during the weather event. “The impact of the broadcast of an opinion or information that is not accurate in the time of a disaster can have consequences and can impact the outcome of the efforts so I’m urging everyone to be responsible. “Use social media for what it was designed, to be social not anti-social media. So, let’s use the media for the positive reassurance. Of course, bring to attention issues that may occur but don’t use it as a means to create depression in the minds of citizens. Many persons are going through very difficult times …uncertain times , we need to be cautious of that,” he said. He encouraged Jamaicans to batten down as best as possible and use sandbags to safeguard their roofs. “If you can find plywood or anything of that form to protect your windows, that would be useful,” he further advised, urging persons to be careful when removing overhanging branches from trees. Minister of Water, Environment and Climate Change, Hon. Matthew Samuda, also advised Jamaicans to get information related to the weather system from reputable and official sources. “It is in your interest to listen to reputable news sources. Ignore sources that are proven to [spread] misinformation and tune in to those sources that … provide accurate information in a timely fashion that allows you to plan and take the appropriate actions,” he said. These include the Meteorological Service, the Office of the Prime Minister, the Prime Minister’s social media pages, the Jamaica Information Service (JIS), the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development, Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), and the Ministry of Water, Environment and Climate Change.
