Montego Bay Mayor Richard Vernon has outlined plans for a new flood early-warning system funded by a US$350,000 international grant, while highlighting the need to strengthen the city’s economy and improve disaster preparedness.
Montego Bay was the only Caribbean city selected in the Mayors Migration Council’s (MMC) 2026 Global Cities Fund funding round and the first from the region to receive the award. The grant will support a two-year climate resilience initiative designed to protect residents in flood-prone communities.
Appearing on Jamaicans.com Live, Vernon discussed how the proposed system will work, the communities expected to benefit and why the municipality is looking beyond flood mitigation to address other vulnerabilities facing Jamaica’s Second City.
Why Montego Bay Needs an Early-Warning System
Montego Bay has long been plagued by flooding, with heavy rainfall overwhelming gullies and drainage infrastructure, putting homes, businesses and lives at risk. Hurricane Melissa in 2025 further exposed the city’s vulnerabilities, underscoring the urgent need for improved flood preparedness.
Compounding the challenge is Montego Bay’s position as western Jamaica’s main urban and economic centre, attracting residents from rural communities and neighbouring parishes seeking employment and other opportunities.
“In Montego Bay, because it is the central hub in western Jamaica, we find many persons moving from the rural sections … and from the peripheral parishes to the urban sections of Montego Bay to access economic opportunities,” Mayor Richard Vernon explained during his appearance on Jamaicans.com Live.
According to Vernon, some of these residents settle in unsuitable structures and flood-prone communities, increasing their exposure to environmental hazards.
Against this backdrop, the opportunity to apply for funding through the Mayors Migration Council’s (MMC) Global Cities Fund came at an opportune time. Jamaican-American Asha Richards, an administrative associate at the MMC, brought the opportunity to Vernon’s attention as Montego Bay is still recovering from Hurricane Melissa.
The municipality subsequently applied under the fund’s climate change category and successfully secured US$350,000 for a flood early-warning system designed to help vulnerable communities prepare for and respond to flooding.
“We’re a coastal city, and we have to do as much as we can to adapt and build our resilience,” Vernon said.
The funding will support a two-year initiative combining early-warning technology with community education and evacuation planning, giving residents more time to move to safety when flooding threatens.
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How the Flood-Warning System Will Work
The project will install wireless sensors and water-level gauges along vulnerable waterways. When water rises to a predetermined level, the sensors will trigger warning sirens, alerting residents that they need to evacuate.
During the interview, Vernon identified several communities expected to benefit, including:
- North Gully: King Street, William Street, Paradise Row and surrounding communities.
- South Gully: Princess Street, Dome Lane and nearby areas.
- Montego River corridor: Catherine Hall and Westgreen.
The technology is only one component of the initiative. Vernon stressed that community education, training and evacuation planning will be equally important.
“It is not just the installation of the system. It is a complete setup where we will have to do sensitization, set up a zonal committee in the area to manage the system, do a complete educational campaign, train persons,” he explained, adding that local residents would be involved in managing the system and activating evacuation procedures.
The goal is to ensure that communities understand exactly what to do when a warning sounds.
Vernon also emphasised that the early-warning system will complement, rather than replace, existing flood mitigation efforts. Drain cleaning and infrastructure improvements will continue, but certain combinations of heavy rainfall and storm surge can still produce dangerous flooding.
“When we have a certain amount of rain and we have a certain type of coming together of systems, for example, a storm surge and heavy downpour, then we are going to experience flooding,” he explained.
“If we know that, then what do you do? You can’t prevent it. What do you do? You leave. And the best thing is to leave from early, and that is why it is the early warning system.”
The approach reflects the city’s efforts to strengthen flood preparedness, combining infrastructure improvements with community training and early evacuation measures to reduce risks to lives and livelihoods.
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Strengthening Montego Bay’s Economy Beyond Tourism
The discussion also turned to the city’s wider resilience and its ability to withstand disruptions beyond severe weather.
Vernon identified economic diversification as a priority, acknowledging that Montego Bay’s heavy reliance on tourism makes the city particularly vulnerable to economic shocks.
“We have to strengthen that. We have to diversify. We are heavily dependent on tourism, and that makes us fragile. So we have to look at other opportunities and other investments that we can pull to the city of Montego Bay to provide employment,” he explained.
The mayor pointed to the recent opening of PriceSmart in Montego Bay as an example of investment that could strengthen the city’s supply chain. Hurricane Melissa had exposed weaknesses in local supply arrangements, with many essential goods having to be transported from Kingston following the storm.
He also raised concerns about the effects of global economic instability, particularly rising prices and inflation, on local businesses and households.
Supporting small businesses is another priority, including fisherfolk operating from the city’s fishing beach, whose livelihoods can be quickly disrupted during a crisis.
Preparing Montego Bay for Future Challenges
Throughout the discussion, Vernon emphasised that resilience involves more than responding to individual emergencies. It also requires stronger local infrastructure, a more diversified economy and communities equipped to respond when disasters occur.
The US$350,000 flood early-warning project represents one part of that approach, combining technology with community education and evacuation planning to reduce the risks faced by vulnerable residents.
For Montego Bay, the challenge now is to translate the funding into an effective system while continuing to address the wider economic and environmental vulnerabilities identified by the mayor.
Watch Mayor Richard Vernon’s appearance on Jamaicans.com Live to hear his full explanation of the early-warning project and Montego Bay’s economic priorities.
