In the wake of what is now confirmed as one of the most devastating storms ever to strike our shores — Hurricane Melissa — we stand at a crossroads. The island has suffered not just in the moment of the wind and rain, but in the revealing of what our built environment, our emergency systems and our collective resilience truly look like under stress. The death toll in Jamaica is now at least 32, with many more unaccounted for, and insured losses alone may top US $2.2–4.2 billion.
“Seeing the videos and the photographs online is one thing,” says Dean Jones, founder of Jamaica Homes, “but actually living through the storm, and being on the ground here, in person, seeing the damage—it’s heartbreaking.”
The scale of what we’re dealing with
From parishes such as St. Elizabeth Parish and Westmoreland Parish to the historic seaport of Black River, the damage is silent and sweeping. In Black River alone, up to 90 % of homes reportedly lost their roofs. When a Category 5 hurricane with sustained …
