Growing Fears In Santa Cruz, Jamaica As New Crisis Emerges

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MONTEGO BAY, JAMAICA – Cleanup operations are underway in Montego Bay, St. James, where communities like Catherine Hall and West Green were hit hard by flooding during Hurricane Melissa.

Mayor Richard Vernon says the St. James Municipal Corporation is targeting specific areas for recovery, beginning with Catherine Hall and West Green, before shifting efforts to the city center and surrounding rural districts.

“We will go into the communities and begin washing the area,” Vernon said, noting that clean-up crews are working around the clock to remove debris and restore accessibility.

But while cleanup has begun, residents say food and water remain scarce.
In Johns Hall, residents in the Dam Road area say they have received little to no assistance since the storm passed.

“We are very hungry… we’ve been waiting here since 8 a.m.,” said one resident, Faith.

Others, like Jamie, described the extensive damage left behind:

“Every board house gone… the road is barely passable.”

The mayor says the corporation is working alongside charitable organizations to deliver relief packages, but admits more support is urgently needed.

“We also need food and water supplies for residents still in the distribution phase,” Vernon said.

Municipal officials say the recovery will continue in phases, with city crews moving next to the downtown area and then into rural communities as conditions improve.

Authorities estimate it may take weeks for some communities to fully recover from the storm’s devastating effects.