Practical, Technical Guidance for Jamaican Households Repairing, Rebuilding, and Preparing Smarter
Jamaica is likkle, but we are talwah. The saying reflects generations of endurance, rebuilding, and resilience. But toughness alone does not stop a hurricane. What reduces damage is preparation, sound judgment, and careful use of limited resources.
When the wind dies down and the rain eases, people step outside in silence. Roofs are counted. Cracks in walls are traced. Waterlines on paintwork mark decisions made long before the storm arrived.
Hurricane Melissa did not simply damage houses. It revealed choices — some well-made, others rushed or inherited from a time when the climate behaved differently. As Jamaica moves into a new year, with another hurricane season already approaching, the central question is no longer what was lost.
It is what will be rebuilt, and how wisely.
The Government’s decision to support recovery through direct cash assistance reflects a practical approach. It recogn…
