Holness, Golding to meet as Jamaica prepares for Hurricane Melissa

Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness says he has been in communication with Opposition Leader Mark Golding and that the two are scheduled to meet today as Hurricane Melissa churns toward Jamaica.

Speaking at a special press briefing at Jamaica House on Saturday morning, Holness emphasised the need for a unified position with all civic and political stakeholders.

He said he will give the Opposition “a full brief” while also listening to suggestions, some of which may be adopted.

Holness added that, if necessary, a Zoom call with members of Parliament could be arranged, though many are currently in the field.

“It depends on how many we will be able to mobilize, but we have already positioned them with resources to clean drains and gullies,” he said.

At the same time, he noted that not all drains can be cleaned given the limited resources and time, indicating that priority will be given to the main ones.

“From an administrative point of view, all our entities have been tasked and mobilized. I suspect all the officers understand what the mission is. From all indications, it is going to be a direct hit, and all of Jamaica will be impacted.

“I urge everyone to be wise about this. Put aside the nervousness and anxiety, be practical, prepare as I have outlined, and continue to pray. We have seen hurricanes at the last moment take a turn for the better. I still have hope that the impact will not be as severe as it is shaping up to be, but we will prepare for the worst and continue to pray for the best,” the Prime Minister said.

He stressed that preparation will help mitigate the impact but emphasized that the real work begins immediately after the storm passes.

-Kimone Francis

Follow The Gleaner on X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.