Clarendon hills ‘overlooked’
Councillors say communities neglected after Category 5 storm
Published:Monday | November 17, 2025 | 12:10 AMOlivia Brown/Gleaner Writer
Several councillors in Clarendon say they have been neglected and sidelined in the wake of Hurricane Melissa, claiming they were not given adequate support to help residents prepare for the storm or recover from its destruction.
Their frustrations came to a head during last Thursday’s sitting of the Clarendon Municipal Corporation, where longstanding concerns resurfaced.
Councillors from northern and rural sections of the parish complained that their divisions have received minimal attention despite the national scope of the disaster.
Councillor Anthony O’Connor of the Crofts Hill division said more than 200 homes were damaged in his area and one life was lost, yet the community continues to be overlooked.
“A life was lost in the hills, and I’m sure it is not recorded as a life lost due to [Hurricane] Melissa,” he said. “It can’t be that it’s only when Portland Cottage and Rocky Point have severe flooding … . When the hills are affected, we have to be arguing for even the visits.”
O’Connor added that “not even tarpaulins” or basic emergency supplies have been provided, and described care packages from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security as “a disgrace”.
Councillor Trevor Gordon of the Spaldings division nodded his support throughout O’Connor’s presentation, occasionally interjecting with “yes” and “true” as the complaints escalated.
A housing support programme driven by members of parliament was rolled out to assist residents impacted by the hurricane. Members of parliament (MPs) in the worst-affected parishes – St Elizabeth, Westmoreland, Manchester, Hanover, St James and Trelawny – have been allocated $10 million for constituency relief. Those in St Ann and Clarendon will receive $5 million per constituency, while the others will be allocated $3 million under the building support programme.
The sentiments of neglect were echoed by other councillors from the hinterland sections of the parish, painting a picture of communities left to fend for themselves.
Councillors argued that despite this allocation, they are being excluded from communication and information sharing, with updates funnelled only through MPs.
O’Connor questioned the logic, noting MPs were not part of disaster-planning meetings. He also criticised the reduced grant allocation, pointing out that after Hurricane Beryl last year, councillors received $500,000, compared with $250,000 following Melissa – a stronger Category 5 storm.
Meanwhile, Councillor Delroy Dawson of Aenon Town stressed that shelters must be properly equipped to accommodate evacuees, including functioning kitchens, and warned that resources remain far too limited for the scale of devastation across the agricultural belt.
Councillor Collin Henry of Thompson Town added that no one was “looking to the hills” and urged the Government to explore Starlink Internet devices to ensure reliable communication in rural areas where connectivity collapses during disasters.