Jamaica Left in the Dark During Tsunami Alert – Opposition Demands Accountability
Kingston, Jamaica – 9 February 2025: Jamaica was placed under a tsunami alert at approximately 6:30 pm yesterday, which was lifted about an hour and ten minutes later.
“At no time during the 70 minutes the alert was in effect did the country hear from its government or the responsible agency, the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM),” stated Opposition Shadow Minister of Local Government, Mrs. Natalie Neita Garvey, MP, in a statement this morning.
She asserted that had a tsunami occurred, it would have resulted in a disaster of catastrophic proportions, as no bulletin was issued to warn the population, nor were any instructions provided on how to respond to such an event—save for a release over three hours later informing of an advisory but denying a warning.
The Opposition considers this a gross dereliction of duty and an extremely irresponsible failure by the Ministry of Local Government and the ODPEM.
Mrs. Neita Garvey, MP, is calling for an urgent review of the country’s disaster alert and warning systems to ensure they are fully functional and supported by adequate response mechanisms, expertise, and funding. She described the performance of the Ministry and its agency last night as “scary” and demanded that the Minister, as the accountable officer, immediately provide the nation with a credible explanation.
