Member of Parliament for St Catherine East Central, Alando Terrelonge, says emergency preparations are underway in the constituency as Hurricane Melissa — now a Category 3 system — moves closer to Jamaica.

In a video shared earlier Saturday, Terrelonge and Councillor Joy Bella Brown of the Gregory Park Division were seen overseeing drain cleaning operations in the Dover area, one of several communities vulnerable to flooding. He noted that while some work has started, more resources are urgently needed to prevent disaster.

“We have emergency equipment on standby in the event of an emergency — but the emergency is now,” Terrelonge said. “Councillor Brown and I are using our limited funding to start the cleaning exercise, but it is a massive operation and we need this to be prioritised.”

Terrelonge is calling on the St Catherine Municipal Corporation and the mayor to release emergency allocations under the Parochial Fund, SGR and other relief mechanisms, to accelerate clearing of drains overwhelmed by debris, trees and overgrowth. He stressed that the safety of residents is his greatest concern as heavy rainfall and flooding are expected.

“We know there are emergency funds available. We’re asking for the equipment and resources urgently—because our concern right now is the residents and the flooding that will happen if we don’t act,” he said. “For years, Councillor Brown has been begging for this drain to be cleaned. We are here now—and we need the assistance.”