Scores of customers flock supermarkets in preparation for Melissa. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)
With Tropical Storm Melissa now threatening to dump days of rain across Jamaica, businesses responsible for keeping the country’s engines running — fuel suppliers, supermarkets and utility providers — have shifted into storm mode.
The system, which principal director of the Meteorological Service of Jamaica Evan Thompson warns could strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane before moving past the island, is expected to bring heavy rainfall, flooding and possible landslides well into next Wednesday. Thompson,who was speaking at the Office of Prime Minister Special Press Briefing on preparation for Tropical Storm Melissa, said the storm’s slow movement means Jamaicans could experience unstable weather “from Saturday straight through to midweek”, with some areas facing nearly a week of continuous rain and flooding risk.
In response, essential service providers have activated business-continuity plans aimed at minimising disruption to supply and communications while safeguarding employees and infrastructure.
Supermarkets are among the first stops when a storm looms. Hi-Lo Food Stores, one of the island’s largest retail chains, told the Jamaica Observer that all locations have been briefed under its continuity plan and will remain open “as long as it is safe for both our patrons and team members”.
The company says it has increased inventories of storm-related items — bottled water, canned goods, hygiene products and batteries — and is monitoring advisories from the Meteorological Service and the National Hurricane Center.
“Our stores will remain open as long as it is safe,” general manager of Hi-Lo Food Stores Cathrine Kennedy said, noting that any change in operating hours will be announced online.
She added that delivery service will also continue in areas where it remains safe to operate, allowing customers to access essential supplies without leaving home.
“We encourage customers to check our website and social media channels for updates,” the retailer added.
Fuel marketers are also seeing heightened activity as motorists stock up on petrol, diesel and kerosene for generators, lamps and emergency travel.
Future Energy Source Company Limited (FESCO) said its islandwide network of service stations is fully stocked and will also maintain operations “for as long as it is safe to do so”.
Chief executive officer Jeremy Barnes told the Business Report that 24-hour locations on Spanish Town Road, Beechwood Avenue, Mandela Highway (Ferry) and Angels will remain open up to the storm’s arrival.
“All FESCO-branded stations have implemented islandwide preparedness measures to ensure access to fuel and essential items ahead of the storm,” Barnes said. “Well-stocked convenience stores with bottled water, batteries, dry goods and other emergency supplies are available at several FESCO dealer locations including Portmore, May Pen, Old Harbour, Ocho Rios, Duncan’s and Negril. Customers are encouraged to complete preparations early and stay tuned to our Instagram account for updates should weather conditions worsen.”
Meanwhile, the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) has activated its emergency operations centre to coordinate repairs in the event of damage to the national grid.
In a press statement on Wednesday, Chief Operating Officer Lance Becca said the utility is particularly concerned about “flooding and landslides that could impact the network, causing outages”, as the ground is already saturated from recent rains.
To strengthen its readiness, JPS has deployed additional crews and on Thursday welcomed mutual-aid line workers from St Vincent to assist with restoration, if necessary. Customers have been advised to secure service wires and ensure back-up generators are fuelled. Importantly, JPS also appealed to customers to ensure that their solar installations and generators are put on settings that prevent a back-feed onto the JPS grid — an issue that can be hazardous to members of the public and JPS crew working on power lines, the company said.
Becca also reminded businesses to unplug large or sensitive equipment in case of voltage fluctuations and to keep flashlights, mobile chargers and battery-powered radios on hand. “Each customer remains a priority,” he said. “We will develop and execute a restoration plan that is safe, efficient and operationally feasible to achieve full restoration as quickly as possible.”
Telecoms operators, still refining their resilience strategy after last year’s Hurricane Beryl, have also been upgrading back-up power at cell sites. Digicel Jamaica recently reported that it has been rolling out solar-powered and battery-storage systems across more than 500 sites, part of a wider programme with Caban Energy to ensure continuity during extended grid failures. The company says the renewable installations will allow towers to remain live for several days without external fuel supply — a crucial factor for emergency coordination and mobile banking services if widespread outages occur.
Meanwhile, among smaller firms the emphasis is on flexibility. Cordell Williams, president of the Young Entrepreneurs Association (YEA), told the Jamaica Observer that many members are actively preparing, setting up inverters, solar systems and cloud-based tools so they can continue operating if their premises lose power.
“More young entrepreneurs are using online payments, cloud bookkeeping, remote-work setups and e-commerce platforms. That’s good progress. But we also see the limits as many still rely on a physical location for core operations,” Williams said.
“When connectivity goes out, those digital systems cannot always rescue everything. So we emphasise digital plus physical resilience. A hybrid model works better: cloud services plus offline capability, mobile back-ups and robust power/Internet redundancy,” she continued.
Williams also reasoned that many young entrepreneurs still operate on thin margins without major reserves, and that the storm threat could exacerbate the situation.
“Two or three weeks of downtime — no power, no Internet, no foot traffic — could wipe out a month’s earnings or more,” she said, noting that the YEA is working with partners such as the Jamaica Business Development Corporation to expand access to digital tools and is advocating for micro-insurance and faster-access emergency funds to support recovery.
Shoppers crowded supermarket aisles in Kingston on Thursday, stocking up on bottled water and other essentials as Tropical Storm Melissa made its approach towards Jamaica.
Motorists line up at a FESCO service station on Thursday to fill their tanks ahead of Tropical Storm Melissa. The fuel marketer says its stations remain fully stocked and ready to serve customers for as long as conditions allow.
President of the Young Entrepreneurs Association, Cordell Williams, says the organisation is partnering with the Jamaica Business Development Corporation to expand access to digital tools while pushing for micro-insurance and faster emergency funding to help small businesses recover after storms.
The Meteorological Service of Jamaica has warned that heavy rainfall and flooding associated with Tropical Storm Melissa could continue into next week as the system moves slowly across the region.