Copyright jamaica-gleaner
WESTERN BUREAU: As Jamaica braces for Hurricane Melissa, Munro College – one of the nation’s oldest boarding institutions – says it is far better prepared this time, drawing on hard-earned lessons from Hurricane Beryl, which devastated the island’s education sector just over a year ago. “To be honest, we were probably the worst-affected school coming out of Hurricane Beryl,” Dr Mark Smith, principal of the St Elizabeth-based Munro College, told The Sunday Gleaner as he reflected on the school’s previous ordeal last Friday. “This time around, we’re fortunate to have roofing systems that are much more resilient than before.” Hurricane Beryl – a Category 4 system which passed just south of the island in its westward trek – inflicted nearly $5 billion in damage across the public education system in July 2024. Some 364 schools were impacted – 111 severely – with the most severely affected in the southern parishes of St Elizabeth and Manchester. “We have drastically improved the physical infrastructure in terms of roofing, and we believe we’re a lot more prepared to weather a strong hurricane,” said Smith. “That being said, it is a hurricane, and the projections range from anything from a Category 3 to a Category 5.” In anticipation of Melissa, Munro’s leadership activated an emergency readiness plan prioritising student safety and campus preservation. “We are battening up as many windows as we can, and covering all our digital devices and records,” Smith explained when The Sunday Gleaner visited last Friday. “We’re ensuring that all those are placed in safe areas and ensuring that all the equipment and electronic equipment are removed to secure areas.” Perched in the cool hills of Malvern, the all-boys boarding school began implementing precautionary measures as soon as students left for midterm break. According to Smith, who is the immediate past president of the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA), risk assessments were quickly conducted, and the decision was made, alongside the nearby Hampton School, to delay the return of boarders until conditions are deemed safe. In St Elizabeth, where Hurricane Beryl toppled trees, ripped roofs, and damaged classrooms, recovery is still ongoing. Ministry data show that while 87 of the most heavily affected schools have been fully repaired, dozens more await permanent rehabilitation. Munro’s rebuilding process, Smith said, was guided by structural engineers and major local contractors. “We had structural engineers come in, as well as DenRon Construction really leading the charge in terms of the construction effort. A significant portion of the buildings received new roofing systems,” he said. While acknowledging that no campus can ever be entirely storm-proof, Smith said Munro’s approach now reflects a shift from reactive recovery to proactive resilience. “The work gives me much confidence. I think we [fare] do a lot better. However, again, it’s a hurricane; it’s an act of God, and we try to cope as best as possible. “We’re praying that the hurricane will just skirt Jamaica,” Dr Smith said quietly. “But if it doesn’t, we are ready.” albert.ferguson@gleanerjm.com
