KINGSTON, Jamaica — With Jamaica bracing for the impact of Hurricane Melissa, the country’s major utility providers say they are as prepared as possible for the powerful system but warn that recovery efforts may require rebuilding, not just restoration.

At a joint press conference held at the Jamaica Public Service (JPS) head office in New Kingston, JPS Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Hugh Grant, Digicel Jamaica CEO Stephen Murad, and Flow Jamaica Vice President and General Manager Stephen Price assured the public that teams are on standby and ready to respond once conditions are safe.

However, they all acknowledged that the projected wind strength and rainfall from Hurricane Melissa are likely to cause significant damage to critical infrastructure.

“A Category 4 hurricane potentially going through the middle of our island could have unprecedented damage on our facilities. Here at JPS it is likely to be a rebuild and not just a restoration,” said Grant.

Grant explained that the storm’s expected intensity could result in prolonged outages, which is why JPS has already secured additional equipment and personnel to assist with post-storm operations.

Meanwhile, Flow’s Price reported that as of 8:00 pm on Saturday, 771 of 778 sites were fully operational across the island, and all priority one sites serving the most densely populated areas were at 100 per cent uptime.

Price also issued a strong appeal to the public to avoid acts of theft that could hinder recovery efforts, revealing that during pre-storm assessments, about 1,300 gallons of fuel were stolen from about 10 generators.

“I ask the public to be our eyes and ears out there. When they see anybody doing anything near our sites, just report it to the police,” he said.

Flow’s emergency lines will remain open 24/7 at 876-929-9834 and 876-929-9837. Price added that once the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) gives the all-clear, technicians will be deployed immediately, pledging transparency and consistent communication with the public.

Digicel’s Murad urged Jamaicans to exercise patience as teams work to restore and, in some areas, rebuild damaged networks.

Minister with responsibility for Water, Environment and Climate Change, Matthew Samuda, thanked the agencies for their preparedness and echoed National Works Agency (NWA) Communications Manager Stephen Shaw’s call for Jamaicans to stay indoors during the storm.

Meanwhile, Minister of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport, Daryl Vaz, commended the readiness of the utility providers, noting that lessons learned from Hurricane Beryl have strengthened the country’s emergency response plans. He also urged unity in the face of the looming threat.

“I am satisfied with what has been presented to me and what has been presented to the country, and I think a lot has been learned from Beryl and the continuous dialogue that has taken place since then for us to have a response to this crisis. But I want to caution Jamaica that Beryl was not a direct hit and you saw what happened with that. We are now speaking about the possibility of a direct hit at a level four or five,” said Vaz.

“I appeal to all Jamaicans, put aside partisan politics, put aside any rifts you may have, and let us work together, because only that can help us at this late stage of the impending hurricane.”

Another press conference is scheduled to be held at noon on Sunday.

— Brittania Witter