Durrant Pate/Contributor

The Government of Jamaica has announced a big jump in expenditure for mitigation works for the upcoming 2025 Hurricane Season, which starts just over a week from now.

This year, the Holness administration will be spending J$172 million directly to all 63 constituencies, up from the J$102 million spent last year.

De facto Works Minister Robert Morgan, in a statement to the House of Representatives on Tuesday (May 20), detailed some of the special infrastructure works, which will be undertaken.

He told the parliament that the administration will be investing J$300 million to carry out essential work on the Sandy Gully in Kingston and St. Andrew, J$100 million into the North and South Gullies in Montego Bay, and in St. Catherine, some J$30 million has been allocated for works in the Bog Walk Gorge.

Other infrastructure works to be done

In addition, $30 million will go towards drainage improvements along Dyke Road in Portmore while $200 million will be dedicated for carrying out additional mitigation works along the South Coast, which has seen repeated flooding and damage in recent years.

According to the works minister, “This is not business as usual. These are targeted interventions in areas where we know the risks are high.”

The National Works Agency (NWA) will once again lead the execution of this programme, with contractors already being engaged.

Minister Morgan told Parliament that as the NWA has already identified key locations to pre-position equipment, over the next two weeks, his ministry will continue ramping up the response so everything is in place before the season peaks.

The works ministry is also dealing with the communication issues that were encountered last year, so it can respond even more efficiently this time around.

2025 Hurricane Season

With just 10 days away from the start of the 2025 Atlantic Hurricane Season, the forecasts indicate an active one with expectations for 19 named storms, nine hurricanes and at least four major hurricanes — Category 3 or higher in intensity.

“Based on what we went through with Beryl last July, we are not taking any chances this year. We are preparing early and acting fast,” Morgan told fellow Members of Parliament, urging them “to work together quickly and responsibly to protect our communities. The past fiscal year was one of the most difficult we’ve faced in recent times.”

He acknowledged that Jamaica endured the impact of Hurricane Beryl with weeks of relentless rainfall coming off another system, Rafael, which compounded the damage, noting that roads collapsed, drains overflowed, and many communities were cut off.

In concluding, Minister Morgan said the government stepped up in the face of all that arguing, “We didn’t hesitate to respond. And I believe every member in this House [of Representatives] will agree — we did the work to restore order and bring relief to our people.”