‘Black River is gone’: Recovery begins, but despair runs deep after Hurricane Melissa

Almost two weeks after Hurricane Melissa tore through Jamaica’s south coast, the cleanup has begun in Black River — but the town that stood here before the storm is no more.

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Several businesses, from long-standing shops to service outlets, were flattened or severely damaged, leaving streets lined with debris. Classrooms at several schools, including Black River Primary and Infant School, and parish buildings such as the courthouse and the fire station, suffered extensive structural damage. Even the St. John’s Anglican Church, a once-proud historic landmark in the town, was devastated — walls crumbled and parts of the roof are now gone.

St. John’s Anglican Church

For miles along the town’s main roads, downed power lines, mud, and uprooted trees litter what was once the heart of the parish capital.

“We wake up and try to clean something, but it feels like we’re just moving the same mud around,” said Marcia Clarke, a shop owner whose small grocery was gutted by floodwater. “Black River gone. This is not the town we know.”

Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie (fifth left), converses with Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green (third right), during a tour and distribution of relief supplies in Black River, St. Elizabeth, on Saturday (November 1). Also present were Mayor of Black River and Chairman of the St. Elizabeth Municipal Corporation, Councillor Richard Solomon (left) and other stakeholders.

Amid the chaos, an emergency field hospital has been set up at Black River High School, bringing a measure of relief to the battered parish. The hospital, established by Samaritan’s Purse International Relief, an evangelical Christian humanitarian organisation, is providing extensive medical services and support to the damaged local healthcare system.

🏥 🇯🇲 Emergency Field Hospital open and treating patients in Jamaica

This morning, the Samaritan’s Purse Emergency Field Hospital in Black River, Jamaica, an effort that we have prayed over for days, was officially opened and began treating the first of many patients.

We… pic.twitter.com/yqXA0gWO3Y

— Samaritan’s Purse (@SamaritansPurse) November 5, 2025

Staffed with more than 60 professionals, including members of the organisation’s Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART), the facility replicates much of the capability of the Black River Hospital, which was left crippled by the hurricane. Doctors, nurses, and volunteers there have been treating a steady flow of patients — from storm-related injuries to respiratory infections caused by damp conditions and exposure.

Despite the devastation, the town has become a lifeline for surrounding communities still cut off from steady supplies. Residents from nearby communities converge on Black River to collect aid packages from government agencies and NGOs. Others make the journey to Santa Cruz or Junction to access the few ATMs still functioning or to pick up remittances from relatives abroad, often waiting in long lines for hours.

Residents of Black River, St. Elizabeth, who were severely affected by Hurricane Melissa, waiting in line to receive care packages and other essential relief items on Saturday (November 1).

“You can’t even buy anything here,” said Devon, a fisherman who lost his boat and now depends on support from relatives overseas. “We travel far just to get a little cash to buy food. Everybody just trying to survive one day at a time.”

Some businesses have electricity, though cell phone reception is spotty, prompting residents to stop by to charge their devices and stay connected. Traffic is piling up along the main roads as people from across Jamaica — and volunteers arriving from around the world — converge on Black River to offer assistance, creating slow-moving lines of vehicles amid the debris.

Every day, scores of volunteers, NGOs, and personnel from the Jamaica Defence Force and police tirelessly clear debris, coordinate relief efforts, and help residents navigate the aftermath of the storm.

View of the town

“When you see the soldiers and volunteers, you feel like help is coming,” said Eileen, a retired teacher whose family home was flooded chest-high. “But rebuilding this town… that will take years.”

For residents of St. Elizabeth, Melissa is more than a natural disaster — it’s a wound to memory and identity. Black River, one of Jamaica’s oldest towns and once the island’s first electrified community, now stands stripped of its past and uncertain about its future.

Even in the midst of devastation, life goes on. People sift through debris looking for salvageable items, neighbors check on one another, and small groups gather to share news, food, and supplies. Makeshift markers and signs guide residents to aid stations, a quiet reminder that the community is finding ways to organize and survive despite the storm’s destruction.