ST JAMES, Jamaica — Several agencies, including the St James Municipal Corporation and the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA), have started a massive operation to clean the parish following the devastation wrought by Hurricane Melissa.

On Tuesday morning, they descended on Catherine Hall and Westgreen, the site of the beginning of the clean-up, with heavy equipment, manpower among other necessities.

Audley Gordon, Executive Director of the NSWMA, explained the role of the entity in the operation.

“Today is a great start and the NSWMA is only too happy to come down. Dozens of tipper trucks will be engaged in the operation, heavy duty equipment, labourers, chainsaw men, just about anyone who can come with a glove,” he told reporters at the start of the operation.

A massive operation to clean St James, following the devastation wrought by Hurricane Melissa, began on Tuesday, November 4, 2025.

“Together we work with the residents to clean up their homes,” he continued.

He said this was important given the situation that people in various communities, who have seen their lives upended by the storm, are facing.

“These are where people live and what we are seeing now, we don’t even want to try to describe because it’s subhuman and so today’s work will begin a restoration exercise,” he said.

“We trust that the weather will hold so that we can have a long day with the residents and begin to bring back some level of normalcy to their lives,” he added.

Mayor of Montego Bay, Richard Vernon explained that this was the start of something that will continue for some time to get the municipality up and running again.

“Today we are physically launching the restoration and clean-up operation for the municipality of St James here in Westgreen and Catherine Hall,” he explained.

“Tomorrow we will continue with our city centre, tidying up the spaces so that it will be available for those who are coming in from the rural sections when we completely open them up between Thursday and Saturday,” he further stated.

Detailing the work that will be done Tuesday and beyond throughout the parish, Vernon said: “We decided to start here in our effort to restore and clean up our beloved municipality, St James.

So today we’re going in, we’re going to remove the garbage, remove the bulky waste remains from the hurricane that Melissa left behind,” he continued. “Then we’re going to help them to wash out the homes, provide potable water. I know some want water to bathe, water to drink. They also need aid in terms of food and we will be providing that.”