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).

The mandatory Order will remain in place for the duration of the Declaration of Threatened Area Order, which the Prime Minister declared over the entire island on Friday (October 24) when Melissa was slowly moving towards the island as a tropical storm.

Now a category-four hurricane, the major storm is expected to make landfall on Jamaica’s south coast late Monday evening or early Tuesday morning, impacting the entire island with heavy rains and winds above 100 miles per hour.

Due to the slow-moving nature of the weather system, it is expected to bring extended days of heavy rain causing landslides and flash flooding.

“I take this opportunity to reinforce the appeal to residents of low-lying areas, historically flood-prone areas, gully banks, riverbanks, hillsides, and other vulnerable areas to take precautions to protect your property where possible, prepare your evacuation plan, and comply with the evacuation orders given,” Dr. Holness urged.

“Avoid unnecessary risks, such as playing in floodwaters and waterways, climbing trees and roofs during the hurricane; stay inside during the hurricane,” he advised.

The Prime Minister also noted that an Order under the Trade Act was issued to prevent price gouging, pointing out that “no one should seek to profit from the hardship of a disaster”.

Consequently, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining will be issuing a recommended price list for all market produce.