By KEILE CAMPBELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMIANS in Jamaica prepared to ride out Hurricane Melissa on Sunday as officials at the Bahamas Consulate in Kingston worked to account for nationals across the island and deliver emergency supplies to students remaining at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona Campus.

Consul General Alveta Knight told The Tribune that weather conditions in Kingston had begun to deteriorate but the full impact of the storm had not yet arrived.

Ms Knight described the scene in Kingston as “a beautiful, black, overcast sky” with light showers and strong winds sweeping through the city intermittently.

“It looks like the perfect day for lying in bed and lounging under a rainy sky,” she said. “But under this rainy day, we are preparing fast and feverishly to make sure we minimise the impact Melissa will have on us.”

She said the consulate distributed flashlights and radios to Bahamian students still in Kingston after several requested assistance in anticipation of power or communication outages. She said stores across the capital had closed, making it difficult to secure items such as power banks.

“I managed to get some flashlights, at least one for each of those who are here, and some radios,” she said. “They wanted power banks, but the stores that would have had them were closed.”

Ms Knight said the consulate was also monitoring a group of Bahamians stranded in Montego Bay after the government ordered airports closed at 8pm Saturday, cancelling a Bahamasair flight scheduled to return them to Nassau.

“The hotel checked them out at 11 o’clock as part of their standard procedure,” she said. “We are trying to find accommodations for them until the airport opens and Bahamasair can fly again.”

She added that Jamaica’s Ministry of Transport and other agencies had been providing continuous weather updates, and she praised the government’s no–price–gouging policy for ensuring basic supplies remained affordable.

According to Ms Knight, the consulate was also compiling a list of nationals across Jamaica to maintain communication during and after the storm.

“There are some medical doctors who are left here who cannot leave because of work obligations,” she said. “We are in a WhatsApp group and making sure everyone is accounted for.”

At the UWI Mona Campus, about 20 Bahamian students chose to remain in Jamaica, while 76 were evacuated on a Bahamasair flight on Friday.

Victoria Jean-Jacques, president of the Bahamian Students Association, said the group had coordinated contact information and resource lists for all Bahamian students before the evacuation.

“We have approximately 18 persons still on campus, with others staying off site,” Ms Jean-Jacques said. “Everyone is calm but not too calm. We are prepared, but our biggest concern is communication if power or service goes. Constant updates help keep people reassured.”

Ms Jean-Jacques said the association had created communication groups to track students’ locations and ensure no one was left without essentials.

“Before the evacuation we made sure we had everyone’s emergency contact and where they were staying,” she said. “We are keeping in touch in our group chat so we can check on each other and share updates.”

She said despite the calm demeanour, many students were battling quiet anxiety while trying to focus on schoolwork.

“Although it is not new to us, it is never a calming experience,” she said. “We are far away from home, and within us we are all having our own panic attacks, but we are trying our best to stay prepared.”

She said Ms Knight personally delivered care packages containing water, snacks, flashlights, radios and waterproof bags to students.

“On behalf of the Bahamian Students Association, we are extremely grateful for what the government and the consulate have done,” Ms Jean-Jacques said.

Fourth-year medical student Joliese Johnson, who also chose to stay, said students felt secure given their familiarity with Kingston’s geography and the university’s preparations.

“Last year when I came home for Hurricane Beryl there was a lot of hassle getting back to Jamaica,” Ms Johnson said. “Kingston did not get damaged too badly then, so I decided to weather the storm this time.”

Ms Johnson, who is from Nassau but has family ties to Grand Bahama, said the storm brought back memories of the devastation her relatives described after Hurricane Dorian.

“Some of my family members are from Grand Bahama, so storms that I did not personally experience I still feel empathetic toward,” she said. “I have heard first-hand accounts from family of what they went through.”

She added that her main focus was maintaining calm so her family back home would not worry.

“They are probably more anxious than me,” she said. “I try to keep them calm, because once they are calm it helps me stay calm.”

She said the Jamaican government had kept residents well informed and that most Bahamian students who stayed had adequate supplies and a clear understanding of shelter locations.

“My biggest concern is really the service,” she said. “My family and friends will want to know what is happening, so I am hoping Wi-Fi and cell coverage stay on as long as possible.”

Former Minister of Foreign Affairs Darren Henfield, who travelled to Jamaica for his brother’s wedding, said about 50 Bahamians were staying at a hotel in Montego Bay as the storm approached.

“The hotel has secured its premises,” Mr Henfield said. “There is a slight breeze outside, nothing to talk about yet.”

Mr Henfield said his training as a former naval officer had taught him to remain calm during such events.

“I operate in the moment,” he said. “For me personally, no anxiety, but I am sure there are people from Abaco and Grand Bahama here who are feeling anxious. The trauma of Dorian still remains even six years later.

He said the wedding party expected to remain in Jamaica until flights resumed later in the week and added that he had been in contact with Ms Knight for updates.

Mr Henfield, who survived Hurricane Dorian in 2019 as a resident of Abaco, said many Bahamians still living in or near the storm’s path were anxious.

He urged residents of the southern Bahamas, particularly Mayaguana, Acklins and Crooked Island, to prepare early and heed evacuation advice if needed.

“Trust your preparation and listen to the officials,” Mr Henfield said. “In Dorian we lost lives because people refused to move. We have to take it seriously when warnings are given.”

Ms Knight said all Bahamians in Jamaica were being advised to stay indoors as the hurricane strengthened.

“We are grateful for the prayers from our beautiful 700 islands and cays,” she said. “We ask that you continue to keep us in your thoughts as we pray for a safe passage of this storm.”

Mr Henfield urged residents of the southern Bahamas, particularly Mayaguana, Acklins and Crooked Island, to prepare early and heed evacuation advice if needed.“Trust your preparation,” he said. “Follow the advice given by national and local officials, and do not take it upon yourself to decide that you can ride it out. That is what cost lives during Dorian.”