Chance slow-moving Melissa could make landfall on Jamaica - Met Office

There is a chance that Tropical Storm Melissa, which is slowly moving across the Caribbean, could make landfall in Jamaica, though that is not expected to happen, the Meteorological Service has cautioned.

The warning came on Wednesday as Government officials and emergency management agencies signalled that Jamaica is prepared for the impending storm while insisting that there was no need for panic.

Evan Thompson, Director of the Met Service, disclosed that Tropical Storm Melissa, which developed over the central Caribbean Sea on Tuesday, is expected to start impacting Jamaica as early as Thursday.

Thompson, who was speaking at a special media briefing at the Office of the Prime Minister in St Andrew on Wednesday, said the system is “generally” moving westwards and could make “a slight curve” that could take it “closer and closer to Jamaica over the next few days”.

“There is a good chance that the system will develop into a hurricane. That is what is expected,” he said.

He said that by Thursday Jamaica could start seeing stronger winds associated with the storm and signalled that heavy rainfall is “likely to cover most of the island”, especially across eastern and southern parishes.

“The eastern end of the island could have up to anywhere between 11 and 12 inches of rainfall. Now that is significant rainfall and that is the main thing that we should be mindful of at this time,” said Thompson.

The head of the Met Service noted that there has been “quite a bit of disparity” about the projected path of the storm system, but said the “consensus model” is that it will continue to move closer to Jamaica.

“So there is still some possibility of the system actually making a landfall in Jamaica. Of course, that doesn’t necessarily mean that is what will happen,” the Met Service director told journalists.

“I don’t want us to close our eyes to that possibility,” he added in response to a question from The Gleaner about the worst case scenario.

Thompson said the general projection is for the storm to turn towards the west “and stay south of the country”.

But he said this means that the system would continue to strengthen and likely become a hurricane “some time by Friday as we go into the weekend”.

However, senior government officials disclosed that preparedness for the storm is well advanced.

Minister of Local Government and Community Development Desmond McKenzie said the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) and the parish municipal corporations have been meeting “extensively” over the last two weeks.

“The country can rest assured of our capabilities in terms of responding,” he said during the special media briefing.

McKenzie disclosed that the over 881 designated shelters have been inspected and shelter managers, supervisors and volunteers are on standby.

“We have pre-positioned relief supplies in various sections of the island. We are also putting emergency equipment and teams in areas that we know are challenging areas and we do have a list of the areas that we need to pay attention to,” the minister said.

Rocky Point, in Clarendon and Taylor Land and New Haven in St Andrew, are among the areas he singled out.

He disclosed, too, that authorities are now installing over a thousand sandbags in the Burgher Gully, located in east Kingston, based on inspections conducted by ODPEM, the works ministry and other agencies.

Minister of Education Senator Dr Dana Morris Dixon urged school administrators to start making preparations to hold classes online.

Some 780 schools are among the 881 designated shelters, she disclosed.

"So you need to get ready with Google classrooms,” Morris Dixon said during the special media briefing.

She also urged school administrators to prepare worksheets for students who do not have access to the Internet.

“We don’t want to have any large learning gaps taking place,” the minister said, noting that another school advisory will be issued tomorrow following an update from the Met Service.

Matthew Samuda, the minister with responsibility for climate change, said this was not a time for citizens to panic, but a “time for preparation”.

Minister of Labour and Social Security Pearnel Charles Jr urged citizens to ensure that important documents are properly stored ahead of the storm, noting that this would make it easier to access Government services if they are impacted.

- Livern Barrett

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