Go-Jamaica Weather Watch

Petrina Francis, Staff Reporter

With the possibility that Hurricane Dean could affect Jamaica by Sunday, Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller has appealed to Jamaicans to remain calm and take all necessary safety precautions.

Addressing journalists at a press conference held at Jamaica House, St. Andrew today, Mrs. Simpson Miller said all the state agencies were fully prepared.

“With the country in election mode, this is not the time to see green, orange or any colour. Rather let us bank together and unite in the face of the threat from Hurricane Dean,” the prime minister said following a meeting with the National Disaster Committee.

Meanwhile, Ronald Jackson, Director General of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) said the vulnerable eastern parishes of St. Thomas and Portland would be given careful attention.

According to Mr. Jackson ODPEM is in discussion with the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) to assist with evacuation and search and rescue efforts in those areas. He also noted that emergency supplies have been moved to the eastern and southern end of the island