As per reports, authorities in St. Mary Parish have intensified hurricane preparedness measures ahead of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, with activities reported on Tuesday (23 June).
Jamaica’s Atlantic hurricane season extends from 01 June to 30 November each year and frequently brings heavy rainfall, flooding, landslides and disruption to transport and essential services.
• Mayor Fitzroy Wilson stated that preparedness efforts extend beyond drain cleaning and include identifying vulnerable street populations, inspecting emergency shelters, confirming the availability of volunteer shelter managers, and upgrading the parish’s Emergency Operations Centre with a replacement roof.
• Reportedly, drain cleaning, underground drainage maintenance, town washing, sanitisation, and flood mitigation works are underway in Port Maria.
• The local authorities have encouraged compliance with approved building regulations to improve structural resilience during severe weather and have urged businesses to adopt improved waste disposal practices to reduce blocked drainage systems.