Once again Jamaica finds itself scrambling at the eleventh hour to clear drains and gullies ahead of an approaching cyclone — this time, Hurricane Melissa, which weather experts forecast will eventually strengthen to Category Five.

In the week just ended, the Government announced that an additional $200 million had been allocated to effect emergency drain-cleaning activity across the country, with each of the 63 constituencies allocated at least $3 million. This brings to $400 million the amount being spent to get drains cleaned ahead of the storm.

To be fair, State agencies, including municipalities, have been having drains cleared of debris from the start of the Atlantic Hurricane Season. We recall very well Montego Bay Mayor Richard Vernon, in June, requesting an additional $30 million to clean what he described as “some critical drains” in St James. This was despite the $30.6 million allocated from the Parochial Revenue Fund to all 17 divisions to carry out comprehensive drain-cleaning works.

Readers will also remember that, in July, Mayor of Kingston Andrew Swaby announced that work was to commence in coming weeks to clean several gullies and drains in sections of New Haven, Harbour View, Weise Road, and other communities.

Mayor Swaby made the revelation after embarking on a two-day tour of 10 divisions to assess the condition of blocked gullies and drains first-hand.

Based on what we have seen thus far, we don’t doubt Mr Swaby’s sincerity, neither do we question his ability to get things done.

That there are still some areas in the capital city where there is need to have drains clean is, we believe, more a factor of poor waste disposal practices by residents of communities who normally take a cavalier attitude to this matter as they believe they have no responsibility whatsoever to keep their environment clean.

We have seen a few of those cases in the past few days. At the same time, images of heavy equipment digging out silt from Sandy Gully, and workers racing against time to clear other waterways have become an all-too-familiar sight late in the hurricane season. These are rituals that expose not only the nation’s vulnerability to natural disasters, but also a deeper, systemic failure in planning and maintenance.

We reiterate that drain-cleaning should never be a crisis response; it should be a routine public service. When drains are left clogged with debris, plastic waste, and sediment for months, they lose their ability to channel rainwater effectively — leading to flash floods, property damage, and sometimes loss of life. The reactive approach — in which action is triggered only when a storm is imminent — wastes resources and often achieves little beyond temporary relief.

What is needed here is a
national drainage management strategy rooted in prevention, not panic. The Government and municipal authorities must adopt a schedule for year-round maintenance, supported by consistent funding, rather than emergency allocations.

Communities should be in
volved through public education campaigns on proper waste disposal and clean-up drives. Additionally, urban planning must prioritise resilient infrastructure, including improved drainage systems that can withstand the realities of climate change.

Preparedness is not an event that begins when the Meteorological Service issues a warning; it is an ongoing process that demands discipline, foresight, and accountability. We should not continue to wait for the clouds to gather before clearing the drains. The time to act sustainably is long before the next storm forms.