Prepare for hurricane season, Jamaicans urged

Jamaicans are being urged to make preparations in the wake of US forecasters predicting an unusually active 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season.

The forecast is for 11 to 17 major storms and as many as nine hurricanes. 

The season officially begins next Thursday June 1.

Major Clive Davis, Director-General of the Office of  Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) is urging that the forecast be taken seriously, particularly in light of the damage done recent rains, brought about by a trough.

“You would (therefore) understand that it does not take a major hurricane for us to be adversely affected, so it’s best to prepare, and prepare as best you can,” he said.

The forecasters say two-to-four hurricanes could be major, with wind speeds of 111 miles per hour or higher and rated as Category 3, 4 or 5.

An average season typically spawns six hurricanes and peaks in August and September. 

The absence of El Nino, an ocean-warming trend that tends to reduce the likelihood of hurricanes, is a major reason for the expected rise in the number of  storms. 

Already, the eastern Atlantic has seen a rare, pre-season storm, Tropical Storm Arlene, which formed last month.