There’s a simple Jamaican truth that never gets old, because it never stops being relevant: you have to know where you’re coming from to understand where you’re going.
In 2026, that feels less like a proverb and more like a blueprint.
Because the road into this year wasn’t smooth. It was shaped by pressure — and by weather. Jamaica has had to absorb, adapt, and rebuild after two defining hurricane impacts across two years: Hurricane Beryl in 2024 and Hurricane Melissa in 2025.
The Two Years That Changed the Conversation
July 3, 2024 — Hurricane Beryl
Beryl’s passage affected the island and triggered a national recovery effort significant enough to warrant a Post-Disaster Needs Assessment documenting damage, loss, and recovery planning extending into late 2025.
October 28, 2025 — Hurricane Melissa
Melissa was reported as making landfall near New Hope, Westmoreland, with catastrophic impacts across western and southern areas, followed by major humanitarian and health-sector response actions.
If…
