Principal Director of the Meteorological Service of Jamaica, Evan Thompson has warned that today is the last day for Jamaicans to prepare for what is expected to be a catastrophic Hurricane Melissa that will directly impact Jamaica early next week.

“Today is your last day to prepare for this hurricane. If you have not done anything yet, don’t think that you will be able to go out tomorrow and it will be easy to go and get things done because that might not actually be a reality, you have to do what you can now,” Thompson implored.

He was addressing a special press briefing now underway at the Office of the Prime Minister to update the country on the Government’s plans and level of preparedness to deal with the approaching weather system.

“If there are some things that are not yet in place that must be in place, you might have to brave the crowds because there are going to be crowds wherever you need to go. You might have to brave it if you need something,” Thompson added.

He also urged persons “to not take advantage of getting much more than you will need but consider your brothers and sisters as well. There’s somebody else who will not be able to go out, there’s somebody else who will be in need and you may have to provide that assistance to them even as we prepare,” he said.

Evans said based on projections, Melissa is expected to dump far more water on Jamaica than any other previous weather system.

“With the slow movement of this system, it doesn’t allow you to recover, it’s not like it’s going to just move off and then gradually the water runs off. It’s going to sit there pouring water while it’s barely moving.

“It’s going to cause significant, widespread, catastrophic, life-threatening floods as long as what is predicted does take place,” said the chief meteorologist.

– Lynford Simpson