Purpose of the Atlas.TM Hub
The site at atlas.tm is a community-driven information hub created to support the relief efforts through the World Digital Governance (WDG) initiative in support of the Jamaican Government during Hurricane Melissa. Its goals are to provide:
Real-time situation reports from residents
The homepage features a Community Feed where residents across Jamaica post status updates about their communities. Each post displays the parish, community, street/location, time of report, and the status of major services (electricity, Flow internet, Digicel, and water). Users also tag hazards such as flooding, fallen trees or downed power lines. Updates are displayed as cards on an interactive map, offering a quick overview of conditions across the country.
Simple submission of new reports
A floating "Submit Update" button opens a detailed form for residents to report conditions. The form asks for parish and community, specific street or landmark, service status (JPS electricity, Flow, Digicel and water), road conditions (e.g., clear, flooded, blocked, mudslide or damaged) and hazards (flooding, fallen trees, downed power lines, structural damage). Residents can also request emergency assistance, include additional comments and upload photos. This structure helps standardise reports for quick triage by emergency teams.
Accessible storm information
The Storm Updates page includes a live weather map from Windy.com showing Melissa's current position and wind speeds. A disclaimer at the top reminds users that the map is not an official forecast and urges them to follow guidance from Jamaica's Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) and the U.S. National Hurricane Center.
Important Disclaimer
The map is not an official forecast. Users are urged to follow guidance from ODPEM and the U.S. National Hurricane Center.
The map includes layers (wind, radar, satellite etc.) and automatically centres on the storm, giving residents an easy way to visualise conditions around Jamaica. An About This Map section explains that the map shows real-time wind patterns, radar and satellite imagery and automatically centres on the storm, emphasising that it is intended for situational awareness and not for official decisions.
Live camera feeds
The Storm page also collects live video feeds from traffic cameras across Jamaica (e.g., Flat Bridge, Half Way Tree, Cross Road, Devon House, and Kingston Harbour). This allows officials and residents to visually monitor road conditions and flooding. Each feed shows a timestamp of the last update.
Central directory of emergency contacts
The Emergency Contacts Directory compiles telephone numbers and addresses for critical services prepared by the Disaster Management Unit of the Kingston & St. Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC). It covers hospitals (e.g., Bellevue Hospital, Kingston Public Hospital and others); emergency hotlines such as the Child Protection & Family Services Agency, Parish Emergency Operations Centre and ODPEM; welfare offices including Poor Relief and the Ministry of Labour & Social Security; fire stations across Kingston & St. Andrew; and detailed police station contacts. For example, the police section lists divisions like Kingston Central (50 East Queen Street, general office 876-922-4089, guard room 876-922-0308), Kingston Eastern Division (16 Lower Elletson Road) and others, plus the national Crime Stop hotline at 311 / 888-991-4000.
Medical Evacuation Requests
The Hub also includes a built-in Medical Evacuation Request feature, allowing residents to quickly report medical emergencies and request assistance. Submissions are routed through the same community reporting system, enabling rapid visibility for responders and coordination with local emergency services during critical situations.
Importance of the Platform
Centralises fragmented information
During emergencies, reliable information is often scattered. This platform centralises community reports, weather data, live cameras and emergency contacts in one place. Residents no longer have to rely on rumours or comb through social media for updates. For emergency planners, the structured submissions provide an "on-the-ground" snapshot of infrastructure damage, service outages and hazards.
Amplifies community voices
The site empowers residents to report issues and hazard locations directly to authorities. The reporting form makes it easy to highlight whether help is needed, enabling rapid triage. The standardised categories (utilities, road status, hazards) allow reports to be aggregated and mapped for pattern analysis and resource allocation. People can see not only official notices but also how neighbours across the island are faring, fostering solidarity.
Supports early decision-making
The combination of real-time wind map, live camera feeds and community reports helps officials monitor high-risk areas and allocate resources. The camera feeds provide visual evidence of flooding or debris on roads, while the map helps track the storm's movement. Having contact numbers for hospitals, police and fire stations readily available ensures that people can quickly reach the appropriate agency.
Enhances accountability and transparency
Because reports are publicly visible, local authorities can be seen responding to issues (e.g., clearing blocked roads or restoring utilities). This transparency builds trust and can motivate more residents to participate.
Community Engagement: Over 200 Submissions
As of late October 2025, the community feed shows hundreds of entries from residents across Jamaica. Examples include:
A resident in Port Royal noting that electricity and water are available but Flow and Digicel services are out, while warning of fallen trees.
Updates from various communities marking roads as "clear" or indicating specific hazards like flooded streets or downed power lines.
By early evaluation, there are more than 200 submissions, demonstrating strong community adoption. This volume of contributions underscores that residents value the platform and are actively using it to share local conditions. The large number of reports allows emergency managers to quickly identify patterns of service outages or hazards across the island.
Conclusion
The atlas.tm Hub is a critical situational awareness platform developed by WDG to support the Jamaican government and community during Hurricane Melissa. It consolidates crowd-sourced updates, live weather and camera feeds and a robust emergency contact directory.
We extend our sincere gratitude to the Most Hon. Prime Minister of Jamaica and to all members of Cabinet for their steadfast leadership and support during Hurricane Melissa. Special appreciation is extended to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security and Peace, Hon. Dr. Horace Chang, and to the following ministers whose collaboration made this national coordination effort possible: Hon. Fayval Williams, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, Hon. Olivia Grange, Hon. Ambassador Audrey Marks, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, Senator the Hon. Aubyn Hill, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, Hon. Robert Montague, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., Hon. Daryl Vaz, Hon. Delroy Chuck, Hon. Floyd Green, Hon. Matthew Samuda, Hon. Andrew Wheatley, and Hon. Robert Morgan.
We also acknowledge the invaluable leadership and partnership of Mr. Chris Reckord, Chairman of the National AI Task Force, Professor Gunjan Mansingh, Chairman of the ICT Authority and Pro Vice-Chancellor of The University of the West Indies (UWI), and Dr. Kevin Brown, President of the University of Technology (UTech) Jamaica. Their expertise and commitment have been instrumental in advancing Jamaica's digital readiness, innovation, and resilience initiatives. Their collective dedication to national resilience, digital innovation, and community well-being continues to guide Jamaica's recovery and preparedness efforts.
Visit atlas.tm to report the issue in our area, city or parish.