Abandoned in the Aftermath: The Devastation of Parottee and the Silence of Floyd Green

By: Wayne Forbes /GTV Editor

February 12, 2026

Abandoned in the Aftermath: The Devastation of Parottee and the Silence of Floyd Green

The coastal community of Parottee, St. Elizabeth, once a vibrant hub of fishing and tourism, now stands as a haunting skeletal remains of its former self. Following the catastrophic landfall of Hurricane Melissa in late October 2025—a record-breaking Category 5 storm—the community was left submerged and shattered. While the winds have long since dissipated, a new storm of resentment is brewing among residents who claim they have been completely abandoned by their Member of Parliament, Floyd Green.

A Community in Ruins

The destruction in Parottee is nothing short of apocalyptic. The storm surge from Melissa decimated the coastline, tearing through the mangrove belts that acted as the community’s primary defense and leaving household appliances and fallen trees rotting in the wetlands. Homes that stood for generations were flattened, and the local primary schools remain in a state of disrepair. For a community that relies heavily on the sea and small-scale farming, the loss of boats, gear, and crops has meant a total collapse of the local economy. Months later, many families are still living under tarpaulins, struggling to access consistent clean water and electricity.

The Absent Representative

Amidst this unprecedented suffering, the silence from the constituency’s leadership has been deafening. Floyd Green, the MP for St. Elizabeth South Western, has come under scathing criticism for what residents describe as a total disappearance. While NGOs like ADRA and the Parottee Enrichment Project (PEP) have been on the ground distributing water tanks and food kits, the local government’s presence is notably missing. Critics argue that Green has prioritized his national ministerial duties and high-profile events over the desperate needs of his own voters.

The frustration boiled over recently during the State Opening of Parliament, where the focus remained on the "pomp and pageantry" of political elites while Parottee remains "underwater" in terms of recovery. While other ministers have made brief appearances for "World Wetlands Day" photo ops, the residents of Parottee say they haven't seen a substantive, long-term recovery plan from their MP. "We see him on TV in Kingston, but we don't see him in the mud of Parottee," one resident remarked. "He has forgotten the people who put him in that suit."

A Crisis of Trust

The "Fashion Accident" at the recent State Opening, involving Green’s colleagues, has only added insult to injury. For the people of St. Elizabeth, who are currently struggling to find shoes to walk through debris, the focus on parliamentary wardrobe malfunctions feels like a slap in the face. The growing sentiment is that the MP has traded the rugged needs of his rural constituency for the comforts of the capital.

As Parottee continues to choke on the debris of Hurricane Melissa, the question remains: When will Floyd Green return to the people he represents? Without immediate government intervention and a visible, dedicated effort from their Member of Parliament, the recovery of Parottee will remain a distant dream, and the political cost for Green may be as devastating as the storm itself.