Three people have died and 13 others have been injured across Jamaica as residents rushed to secure their homes and properties ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Melissa.
Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Christopher Tufton confirmed the fatalities Monday evening during a special briefing at the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM).
The victims, from St Elizabeth, St Catherine, and Hanover, were all involved in storm preparations when the tragic incidents occurred.
In St Elizabeth, a health worker lost his life after a tree fell on him while he was making final arrangements at his property. He was airlifted to the University Hospital of the West Indies but later succumbed to his injuries.
Another man in Hanover was killed in a similar incident involving a fallen tree, while in St Catherine, a resident was electrocuted while cutting down trees ahead of the storm.
Dr Tufton also reported 13 other injuries related to hurricane preparations, many resulting from falls off ladders and rooftops.
The minister expressed deep sadness over the incidents and extended condolences to the affected families.
“Condolences to the family members who lost loved ones,” Dr Tufton said. “We understand the need to prepare, but we urge extreme caution in that preparation. If you need help, call for help but be careful to protect yourself during the preparation, because already we are seeing the tragedy of lives.”
Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 storm with maximum sustained winds of 175 miles per hour, continues to move northwest of the island, bringing heavy rainfall, dangerous winds, and widespread power outages.
Oh boy. Such sad situations condolences to the bereaved families
You can’t really blame anyone people are scared, acting out of love for their families. But this shows how important training and public safety awareness are. Prevention isn’t a slogan; it saves lives.
Lord have mercy on the families mourning tonight. May we all learn to take shelter in time and protect each other. A life lost in preparation is still a life dedicated to care
The government should have issued earlier advisories and assistance to communities before the storm reached this point. Too many people feel they have no choice but to take dangerous risks themselves.
This is beyond tragic.three families now grieving while the storm hasn’t even hit in full.my prayers go out to everyone trying to stay safe please.please stop and think before taking risks 🙏🏿
Every year we “prepare,” yet the same thing happens chaos, panic, and tragedy before the eye even reaches us. Something’s not working in this system.
We need more local action teams to help elderly and disabled residents secure their properties. Every parish should have a hurricane response group no one should be left to face this kind of danger alone
As a nurse, I’ve seen what happens when people underestimate exhaustion and panic during storm prep. Please take breaks, stay hydrated, and don’t work alone. Your life is more valuable than your roof
These incidents should push us to invest more in pre-storm community programs free trimming crews, volunteer training, and safe shelters. Preparation should never cost lives.