MONTEGO BAY, St James — As muncipal authorities in St James move to put measures in place for the current hurricane season, they are also keeping an eye on other potential threats.

“We’re looking at all the possible disasters that can transpire throughout the course of this year; not just the Atlantic hurricane season but also the El Nino that we are anticipating,” Mayor of Montego Bay Richard Vernon told the Jamaica Observer during a recent interview.

“Disaster is not just about floods and hurricanes; disaster is also extreme heat, among other things,” he stressed.

Global climate models project an intense, potentially historic ‘super’ El Niño developing in the Pacific that is set to influence weather conditions across the world. Heat waves are among the challenges expected and Vernon pointed out that the temperatures are already quite elevated.

Ongoing work in Catherine Hall, Montego Bay to complete drainage works as part of the Montego Bay Perimeter Road project. Almost every building in and around the community suffered serious flooding as a result of last year’s Hurricane Melissa. 

Speaking specifically to readiness for any hurricanes that may impact the country between now and November 30, Vernon pointed to the current cohort of the St James Municipal Corporation’s years of experience and ongoing work.

“We are in a state of preparedness. Since 2017 we have dealt with several disaster events so our preparation has now been institutionalised. We are always aware of the threat that the hurricane season poses and as such we are doing accordingly, which is prepare ourselves,” assured the mayor.

In addition to the usual drain clearing, he said there has also been cleaning done at Pye River. That was one of the bodies of water that contributed to massive flooding in the Catherine Hall, Westgreen and Fairview areas of Montego Bay during Hurricane Melissa’s passage last October.

Vernon also reminded that there are other efforts to make the parish better equipped to deal with disasters. He referenced the Bloomberg Philanthropies Youth Climate Action Fund which emerged as a critical pillar of community resilience across Montego Bay in the aftermath of last year’s Category 5 storm. The project provides grants ranging from $150,000 to $750,000 to youth groups with members aged 15 to 24.

VERNON… We’re looking at all the possible disasters that can transpire throughout the course of this year.

“Last year, the ones who leveraged the Bloomberg Youth Climate Action Fund through the mayor’s office were able to implement projects that were beneficial to residents during and after Hurricane Melissa,” Vernon declared.

This year, a pool of $8 million is still available and interested individuals may reach out to the mayor’s office to secure funding.

“It is an opportune time for them to apply for this new allocation so that they can enhance their projects and do more meaningful and impactful projects in their respective communities to reduce the risks associated with the climate change vulnerability and the climate change systems that are happening,” Vernon urged.

“Many projects could come alive out of that: Cooling systems, filtration systems for classrooms to enhance education, clean air in light of the Sahara dust, many different things they could look at right now,” the mayor explained.