The Government has issued a mandatory evacuation Order for several communities along the south coast as Hurricane Melissa moves closer to Jamaica. The evacuation Order applies to Port Royal in Kingston; Portland Cottage and Rocky Point in Clarendon; Old Harbour Bay in St. Catherine; and New Haven, Riverton City and Taylor Land in St. Andrew.
This Order was signed under the Disaster Risk Management Act (DRMA). Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, said the Order empowers the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) to “act as necessary to have persons evacuated from high-risk areas to save lives”. The Prime Minister gave details of the Order in an address to the nation on Sunday (October 26).
