THE state-owned Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) was last night ready to assist with the transportation of persons being evacuated from areas threatened by Hurricane Emily.

Gwyneth Harold, the bus company’s marketing and public relations manager, told JIS News that the company would be assisting in the evacuation of areas that were especially prone to storm surges from the sea and also flooding from the Rio Cobre in the Kingston/Metropolitan Transport Region (KMTR).

Low-lying areas of Portmore, such as Port Henderson, expected to be affected by the hurricane, were among the areas from which the bus company was evacuating persons.

“We will also be assisting persons farther out in St Catherine in the Old Harbour Bay and Nightingale Grove areas. The Rio Cobre is expected to affect the low-lying Rivoli and Thompson Pen areas of Spanish Town. In the eastern side of the city, we expect that we will be assisting Caribbean Terrace, the eastern end of Harbour View, Bull Bay and also Port Royal,” Miss Harold told JIS News.

Harold, however, appealed to members of the public to co-operate as the JUTC was not a rescue service and would not be able to go in if there was a rescue emergency at hand.

“We will be going in long before there is any threat of flooding as we will not be able to rescue persons. Persons in these flood-prone areas should really prepare to leave their homes long before the rains start,” she said.

Persons being evacuated were asked to secure their household appliances and other valuables as much as possible before leaving their homes, as they would not be able to take everything with them on the buses.

“We will be seeking to secure, first and foremost, life… these persons should take all the essential items that they will need. Persons, especially those with small children should take clothing and enough food to last for one or two nights.

They will also need bedding material to lie on in the shelters in case there isn’t enough bedding material,” Harold said.