Copyright jamaica-gleaner
WESTERN BUREAU: As many Jamaicans anxiously await to see what will unfold when Hurricane Melissa makes landfall, yesterday was a day of mixed feelings for several St James residents, who were seemingly uncertain as to whether the preparations they had made were enough to handle the effects of the storm. For Kelene Robinson, a resident of Content in rural St James, the storm’s arrival and anticipated impact evoked memories of Hurricane Gilbert, which hit Jamaica as a high-end Category 3 storm in 1988. Melissa, which is the 13th named storm in the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, and which was ranked as a Category 5 system up to yesterday morning, has been projected to make landfall in Westmoreland early Tuesday morning and head northwest through the Cockpit Country, before leaving Jamaica via St Ann. “I was a child during Hurricane Gilbert, and based on that experience and the forecasts now, I am expecting this hurricane to be bad. At the time Gilbert struck, we lived on a hill, and our house was a board house; and when the wind and rain started getting really bad, our great-grandmother ran with us to the nearby church, which was a shelter, and the rain felt like bee stings on my body as we ran,” recalled Robinson recalled. “With Melissa now, I am as prepared as possible, because I have my batteries, food, water, kerosene, and candles. I have also secured the stuff that can be moved, and the rest is up to God,” said Robinson. Alecia Shaw, a resident of Lima district, told The Gleaner that there was an air of caution among her neighbours on Monday, even as last-minute preparations were being made for Melissa’s arrival. “Where I am living in Lima, as far as I am seeing, persons are getting their windows fortified, and some are cutting down trees. Some persons are preparing themselves for the storm, and many are going shopping,” said Shaw. “I am seeing that persons are worrying themselves about it, and persons are praying very hard, and some are just at home waiting to see what will happen.” In Montpelier district, Sherrica Thompson is concerned about how the hurricane’s passage will affect the road in her community, which is already in a poor state and badly in need of repair. “The Montpelier roadway is in a zone that is prone to being affected by water, so flooding will occur, and I can foresee that the road is going to be worse than it is now. I am not worried for myself, as this is not my first hurricane, and my home is okay and we are good where food is concerned; but I am concerned about the impact the storm is going to have on the country and the economy overall,” she said. The St James Municipal Corporation (StJMC) reported on Sunday evening that eight of St James’ 62 registered shelters had been opened, with 30 persons being housed at those shelters, and that its emergency operations centre had been activated. “We understand the high level of anxiety and fear among our citizens at this time. However, the StJMC and other state agencies will play their role to ensure that the anticipated damage from Hurricane Melissa is reduced based on our mitigative measures. We also have our teams on standby to respond in the aftermath,” Montego Bay Mayor Richard Vernon, the StJMC’s chairman, said in a release Sunday evening. Meanwhile, the National Works Agency said there were no reports about potential flooding or land slippage in any community across St James. christopher.thomas@gleanerjm.com
