KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) is on full alert as Tropical Storm Melissa tracks towards the island.

The assurance was given by the Minister of Water, Environment and Climate Change, Matthew Samuda, during a ministerial statement in the House of Representatives on Tuesday afternoon.

“I want to assure you that your Government is working tirelessly to ensure that the systems we have developed to protect you have already been activated. The Meteorological Service of Jamaica…continues to monitor the storm’s movement closely and will provide continuous updates as new data becomes available,” Samuda said.

He noted that Melissa’s formation is a sobering reminder that this year’s Atlantic hurricane season will not end quietly.

Samuda also noted that current projections show that Melissa could intensify into a category one hurricane by Saturday, fuelled by the unusually warm waters of the Caribbean — “waters that, I must emphasise, have become increasingly hot due to the broader impacts of global climate change”.

He pointed out that at present, a tropical storm watch has been issued for Jamaica and, while the forecast remains uncertain, meteorological models suggest that Jamaica could experience heavy rainfall, gusty winds and possible flash flooding as the system tracks northward later this week.

“We are particularly mindful of the potential for landslides in our mountainous parishes, especially in areas where soil saturation is already high.

“While the centre of Melissa’s projected path currently points toward Hispaniola — the storm’s proximity to Jamaica demands our highest level of vigilance. As we have learned through experience, tropical systems of this nature can shift course with little warning, and even indirect impacts can bring significant disruption to lives, livelihoods and property,” said Samuda.

He said the Government stands ready to respond to any eventuality, adding that, “While we hope that Tropical Storm Melissa will spare our island significant impact, we must prepare for the worst even as we pray for the best.”

-Lynford Simpson