Belizean Students Take Shelter as Hurricane Melissa Devastates Jamaica

Hurricane Melissa has made landfall in Jamaica, and the island is feeling the catastrophic impacts of the Category Five storm. After a relatively slow approach, the storm hit the southwest coast of the island early this afternoon, with wind speeds of one hundred and eighty-five miles per hour and an estimated twenty to thirty inches of rain. The National Hurricane Center also storm predicts surges of nine to thirteen feet along the southern coast of Jamaica, resulting in flash flooding and landslides. Although the storm’s gradual arrival allowed residents more time to prepare, everyone is now urged to stay inside a secure shelter. Among those seeking cover are dozens of Belizean students studying in Jamaica, many of whom have relocated to the residence of Belize’s Honorary Consul.  This evening, the Government of Jamaica provided an update on their relief strategies following the storm.

 

Dezmond Mckenzie, Minister of Local Government & Community Dev., Jamaica

“I can only speak from this platform that the packages which are ready, once the window is open, we will move. Mr. Tomoson just spoke to the media, the discussions that we’ve been having in meetings, making preparations to feel those items coming in. Minister Vaz is not here, but all our airports are closed and until we are given the go ahead before the airport can be reopened. So I can’t speak to the question of relief packages coming in at this time. Any goods that is coming into Jamaica for relief supplies, the government must go in advance, it has to be documented, go through a proper system, and that is one of the meetings that was being held to coordinate the logistics. We are not going to just facilitate anyone flying things into say that this is for release supplies next time when we get an airplane put two bucks of rice and in the back of it is furniture and fridge and tv. Not up for that. We are putting in place a proper structure that is why the website was created so that people kind of go to that website and indicate, and there’s a structure. The ministry of foreign affairs and foreign trade, because anything coming into the country, it is a collective response of government that is working to ensure that there is a proper system that is in place on a website that has been established.”