Q: What advice can the embassy offer to US citizens in Jamaica for the current hurricane season?

A: First, take responsibility for your own safety before an emergency arises. We encourage all individuals to plan ahead. The US and Jamaican governments offer a variety of resources to the public to help you to do this.

The US Federal Emergency Management Agency has helpful suggestions on how to prepare for emergencies of all kinds, including hurricanes, at https://www.ready.gov. On the site you can find instructions on how to prepare an emergency kit with stockpiled food, water, and medical supplies, and how to set up an emergency communication plan with your family and friends.

During hurricane season, monitor the weather. Storm forecasts can be found on the National Hurricane Center’s website at nhc.noaa.gov. Jamaica’s Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management also provides information on local conditions at odpem.org.jm. Should you not have ready access to a computer, pay attention to local media reports throughout the season.

It is important to enroll in the US Department of State’s Smart Traveller Enrollment Program (STEP), whether you are a temporary visitor or reside in Jamaica long-term. The Embassy uses STEP to transmit emergency messages to US citizens in Jamaica. The easiest way to sign up is to go to https://step.state.gov/step where you can sign up for notices for Jamaica or other countries where you intend to travel. You can also enroll in STEP through the US Citizen Services unit of the embassy website.

Make sure your US passport is current. During a time of emergency, the embassy might not be able to issue travel documents. If it becomes clear that a storm is heading for Jamaica, the best way to avoid danger is to depart the island before it strikes, and stay abroad until it is safe to return. US citizens should ensure that their passports are valid through the end of hurricane season. If your passport expires soon, renew it now. Make an evacuation plan and be sure that you have the necessary documents along with prescription medication and other essentials which will allow departure on short notice.

Finally, if a situation requires an evacuation from an overseas location, the Department of State will work with commercial airlines to ensure that US citizens are repatriated as safely and efficiently as possible. Commercial airlines are the department’s primary source of transportation in an evacuation; other means of transport are utilised only as a last resort. The Department of State does not provide no-cost transportation, nor is space for non-US citizen relatives guaranteed. For all of these reasons, it is best to depart before a storm makes landfall, while commercial transportation is still available. More information on what the Department of State can and cannot do in a crisis can be found at the US Department of State’s website, travel.state.gov.

For more information about American Citizen Services, please visit our website at jm.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services.

The latest information on our operating status can be found on our website at www.jm.usembassy.gov or by visiting www.travel.state.gov. Keep on top of embassy news on our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/USEmbassyJamaica/ and by following @USEmbassyJA on Twitter. We also answer general consular questions on our Facebook and Twitter pages.