AS tensions in the Middle East continue to drive up shipping costs and threaten global supply chains, Jamaica’s utility providers say they have been stockpiling critical equipment and investing more heavily in disaster preparedness in the lead-up to the 2026 Atlantic Hurricane Season.

They also emphasised that lessons from COVID-19 and other global disruptions have reinforced the need to prepare for the Atlantic Hurricane Season in an increasingly uncertain world.

Executives from Digicel, Flow Jamaica, Jamaica Public Service (JPS), and National Water Commission (NWC), speaking during a Jamaica Observer Press Club meeting last Thursday, said the challenges of preparing for hurricanes now extend far beyond weather forecasting, with conflicts overseas, supply chain bottlenecks, and rising transportation costs all influencing how they plan for emergencies.