ST ELIZABETH, Jamaica — With Hurricane Melissa expected to make landfall on Jamaica’s south-western coast on Tuesday, officials in St Elizabeth are appealing to residents to stay indoors and avoid venturing out as the parish braces for impact.

Head of the St Elizabeth Police Division, Superintendent Coleridge Minto, and Mayor of Black River, Councillor Richard Solomon, say all necessary preparations have been completed and emergency plans are in full effect.

Superintendent Minto noted that the police are fully mobilised to ensure the safety of citizens and will be enforcing measures to keep individuals off the streets during the storm.

“We are appealing to everybody to remain indoors,” he cautioned.

Mayor Solomon added that shelters across the parish have been prepared and a number of people are in them.

“Last year we had some 100 persons in shelter during Beryl this time we have 360 persons in some 29 shelters at this point in time,” he said.

Both officials reaffirmed their commitment to public safety and urged residents, especially those in flood-prone and coastal areas, to take evacuation advisories seriously and to stay tuned to official updates.