The Government of Jamaica has ordered mandatory evacuations for seven flood-prone communities across the island as Hurricane Melissa tracks toward the country.

The communities are Port Royal in Kingston; Portland Cottage and Rocky Point in Clarendon; Old Harbour Bay in St Catherine; and Taylor Land, New Haven, and Riverton City in St Andrew.

The order, which the government said was made in consultation with the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), takes effect immediately.

Jamaica remains under a hurricane warning with Melissa – currently a Category 4 storm – expected to hit the island as a major hurricane Monday night or Tuesday morning, and is forecast to bring life-threatening storm surge, wind and rain.

According to the government, the action follows the Disaster Risk Management (Declaration of Threatened Area) (Tropical Storm Melissa) Order made on October 24, 2025, which declared the entire island a threatened area.

The evacuation order remains in force for as long as the Declaration of Threatened Area Order remains in force, the government said.