Jamaica is still clearing debris and restoring services after Hurricane Melissa made a record-strength landfall on October 28, then crossed the Caribbean toward Cuba. The storm hit southwestern Jamaica with sustained winds near 185 miles per hour — well above the 157 mph threshold for a Category 5 hurricane — tearing roofs, flooding coastal towns, and knocking out power across most parishes, according to AP News.
Officials reported landslides and blocked highways as crews pushed to reach cut-off districts from St. Elizabeth to St. Ann, Reuters and AP dispatches noted. Via an Our Today report, Jamaica Public Service (JPS) said outages peaked above 70 percent of customers during and after landfall as feeders and substations failed; the utility is prioritizing hospitals, water plants, and main transmission corridors while it rebuilds the grid. JPS themselves have since removed that report from their homepage.
Hospitals and clinics have faced intermittent power and water outages, which have slowed routine care and vaccine storage. The Pan American Health Organization reports damage to facilities in hard-hit western parishes and says immediate needs include generator fuel for cold chains, chlorine for treatment plants, hygiene kits, and mobile medical teams while repairs continue.
Currently, International Relief Team’s (IRT) San Diego branch is diligently collecting donations from members of our community who want to “provide food, water, shelter, and medicines to families devastated by this unprecedented storm.” AP News reports that aid flights began arriving in Kingston with shelter supplies and medical items, but their distribution has been uneven because access roads remain partially blocked.
Farm and fishing communities have also taken heavy losses. Reuters photo reporting shows flattened banana and plantain stands, saltwater pushed inland, and boats smashed in harbors that anchor local incomes. Officials and producers warn that staple food prices could rise unless seeds, tools, and repair cash reach growers and fishers soon enough to catch the next planting and fishing windows. Tourism operators are repairing roofs and reopening in phases; airports resumed limited operations as debris was cleared, though many hotels are waiting for steady electricity and water to return.
Loss estimates are still changing as assessors reach isolated areas. Experts now place total financial losses from Melissa across the region at up to 4.2 billion dollars, with the largest share in Jamaica, where the winds were strongest. AccuWeather’s broader view of damage and economic loss for the western Caribbean runs to tens of billions of dollars, a figure that could shift as recovery unfolds. AP News also places Melissa among the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes on record, noting that the 185-mile-per-hour landfall tied historic benchmarks for intensity.
World Food Programme Caribbean director Brian Boggart noted in a press briefing that “The situation on the ground is what can only be described as apocalyptic,” Reuters reports.
For many watching from afar, the human toll has been striking. As Sebastian Nudleman (’27) reflected, “Seeing reports of families unable to get to hospitals or access clean water made me feel terrible. In some ways, it’s interesting to learn about other countries’ emergency response systems, but more than anything, it’s a real reminder that disasters like these affect actual people, and not to get caught up in the statistics.”
Regional casualty tolls have continued to rise as access improves in Jamaica and neighboring islands, and officials caution that numbers may change as teams reach remote communities. Jamaica’s government has confirmed at least 32 deaths with several more under investigation, CBS News reported on Monday, while Reuters and AP News place the wider Caribbean death toll at around 50, driven by lethal flooding in Haiti, where authorities now report more than 40 dead and dozens missing.
For Jamaica right now, the picture is a race to restore electricity to medical facilities and water systems, reopen corridors to the hardest-hit parishes, and move relief into communities where damage surveys show the greatest need. AP News, Reuters, and PAHO situation reports all point to those immediate tasks as crews work through downed lines and landslides toward full service.
