Hinds told people at the Portmore Emergency Operation Centre on Thursday that the Port Henderson Road to Spanish Town route was cut off due to erosion and that it was of concern.

He blamed the National Works Agency, which he said was not working fast enough. Hinds said the Dunbeholden Road should be fixed so that vehicles could move faster if an evacuation was necessary.

state of readiness

While Hinds expressed concerns about the road, a multi-agency approach was used to mobilise the effort and put them in a state of readiness.

"We are about 80 per cent ready. However, with emergency shelters in a state of readiness plus agencies are on alert, we are getting there," Councillor Keith Blake, a member of the Portmore Municipal Council's Disaster Committee, told THE PORTMORE STAR.

Meanwhile, THE PORTMORE STAR learnt that $2 million dollars have been given to Portmore for the cleaning of crucial drains. For weeks people have been calling for the roads in the municipality to be fixed as it has proven to be a major inconvenience. Meanwhile Reginald Allen head of communications for the Jamaica Urban Transit Company said 14 of its buses are available for the evacuation exercise.

- R.T.