October 27 - Jamaica has assembled its emergency response teams as Hurricane Melissa arrives as a category 5 storm.

Forecasters are warning Melissa could unleash flooding, multiple landslides and extensive infrastructure damage.

This past Friday the Jamaican Ministry of Tourism opened its Tourism Emergency Operation Centre (TEOC), coordinating with the country’s Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management, the Meteorological Service of Jamaica, its Destination Managers for each resort area and other key agencies, to ensure the safety of visitors and locals.

Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett, said Jamaica is maintaining continuous communication with the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), as well as the island’s airline and accommodation partners to coordinate the structured and orderly departure of guests from the island. “This process will remain in effect until our airports are officially closed,” he said.

The Jamaican government has also maintained close contact with its major airline partners, many of whom have facilitated additional flights and deployed larger aircraft to support the evacuation of their passengers. “This coordinated effort underscores the strong partnerships that continue to define Jamaica’s tourism sector,” said Minister Bartlett.

“In the event that conditions necessitate, we have activated plans in collaboration with the JHTA to establish emergency shelter facilities for any visitors who may need to remain on the island during the passage of the storm. Additionally, the Tourism Emergency Operations Centre (TEOC) has been fully activated and is now operating as the communication nerve centre for the industry. It will remain manned on a 24-hour basis to ensure the highest level of coordination, information sharing, and responsiveness until normalcy is fully restored,” he added.

“Our ability to respond swiftly and effectively to crises is what continues to set Jamaica apart as a world-class destination. Resilience has long been at the heart of Jamaica’s tourism success. We have learnt from experience that preparedness is the foundation of recovery.”

“Do Not Gamble With Melissa”

Melissa is forecast to make landfall on the island Tuesday and cross Cuba and the Bahamas through Wednesday.

Early Monday, Melissa was centred about 220 kilometres southwest of Kingston, and about 515 kilometres southwest of Guantánamo, Cuba, the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said.

The hurricane has maximum sustained winds of 260 kph and was moving west at 5 kph, the centre said.

Some areas in eastern Jamaica could see up to 40 inches (1 metre) of rain while western Haiti could get 16 inches (40 centimetres). Mandatory evacuations were ordered in seven flood-prone communities in Jamaica.

“I want to urge Jamaicans to take this seriously,” said Desmond McKenzie, deputy chairman of Jamaica’s Disaster Risk Management Council. “Do not gamble with Melissa. It’s not a safe bet.”

The hurricane was expected to make another landfall later Tuesday in eastern Cuba. A hurricane warning was in effect for Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo and Holguin provinces, while a tropical storm warning was in effect for Las Tunas. Up to 20 inches (51 centimetres) of rain were forecast for parts of Cuba, along with a significant storm surge along the coast.

The storm already has dropped heavy rain in the Dominican Republic, where schools and government offices were ordered to remain closed on Monday in four of nine provinces still under red alert. A hurricane watch was in effect for the southeastern and central Bahamas and for the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Melissa could be the strongest hurricane Jamaica has experienced in decades, said Evan Thompson, principal director at Jamaica’s meteorological service. He warned that cleanup and damage assessment would be severely delayed because of anticipated landslides, flooding and blocked roads.

It would be the first time in recent history that a storm of Category 4 or higher makes landfall in Jamaica, Thompson said.

He noted that Hurricane Gilbert was a Category 3 storm when it hit the island in 1988. Hurricanes Ivan and Beryl were both Category 4, but they did not make landfall, Thompson said.

In addition to the rainfall, Melissa is likely to cause a life-threatening storm surge on Jamaica’s southern coast, peaking around 4 metres above ground level, near and to the east of where the centre of Melissa makes landfall, the U.S. centre said.

“Don’t make foolish decisions,” warned Daryl Vaz, Jamaica’s transport minister. “We are in a very, very serious time over the next few days.”

Minister Bartlett emphasized that Jamaica’s proven track record in preparedness positions the destination to maintain its reputation for visitor safety and operational excellence even during challenging weather conditions.

“Jamaica has long been recognized for its resilience and preparedness, and this situation once again demonstrates our collective commitment to the safety of our visitors and the strength of our tourism industry,” said Minister Bartlett.

With file from The Associated Press and Travelweek