City of Hoboken responds to Hurricane Beryl, assists partner city Montego Bay

The City of Hoboken is taking immediate action to assist its partner city, Montego Bay, Jamaica, as Hurricane Beryl, a Category 5 storm, approaches this afternoon.

"We are closely monitoring the situation and are in continuous communication with Mayor Homer Vernon of Montego Bay," said Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla. "We are sending technical assistance resources for post-storm damage assessments to support our friends and partners in their time of need."

Last month, Montego Bay and Hoboken entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the ICLEI World Congress in São Paulo, Brazil, to assist Montego Bay in advancing climate resiliency projects and initiatives over the next three years. This partnership, part of the U.S. State Department's Cities Forward initiative, was one of 24 selected by the US Department of State last year. The program is dedicated to assist cities in Latin America, the Carribean, and U.S. create sustainable, inclusive, and resilient futures through peer-to-peer project consultation, knowledge sharing, capacity building, and diplomatic engagement.

"We are now working with the State Department to provide immediate resources and assistance to Montego Bay as they prepare for their version of Superstorm Sandy," Mayor Bhalla added. "This hurricane is projected to be the most severe storm the city has seen in decades. The urgency of climate action cannot be overstated, and this situation underscores the importance of using our knowledge to help other communities, just as other communities used their knowledge to help us after Superstorm Sandy.