Hurricane Melissa leaves near J$1 trillion in damage, thousands jobless in Jamaica

Hurricane Melissa, the strongest storm ever to hit Jamaica, has caused preliminary damage estimated between US$6 billion and US$7 billion—roughly 28 to 32 per cent of the country’s 2024/2025 GDP, or nearly J$1 trillion, Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness told Parliament on Tuesday.

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Melissa, which slammed into Jamaica’s agricultural heartlands and tourism corridors, has left at least 32 dead in the island nation, while Haiti recorded 43 deaths and 13 missing after days of torrential rain and flooding. In Haiti, rivers overflowed, nearly 12,000 homes were flooded, and communities were cut off from drinking water. In Jamaica, more than 30 communities remain isolated due to damaged roads and bridges.

Holness described the storm as “on the very edge of what is physically possible in the Atlantic Ocean, powered by record sea temperatures,” noting that seismographs hundreds of miles away registered its passage. He warned that short-term economic output could fall by 8 to 13 per cent, particularly in the most affected parishes, and that the costs would push up Jamaica’s debt-to-GDP ratio.

Economic and Sectoral Impact

The storm’s devastation has been felt across key sectors:

• Agriculture: Farmers face heavy losses as crops are destroyed and livestock operations recover. Food prices may rise due to the impact on production in critical parishes including St Elizabeth, Manchester, and Westmoreland.

• Tourism: Mayor of St. Ann’s Bay Michael Belnavis reported that at least 2,000 hotel workers in the parish have lost their jobs since Melissa struck. Major hotel brands including Sandals and Hyatt have been forced to announce closures across the island. Thousands of tourism workers are temporarily out of employment, and recovery will require targeted support to restore capacity and confidence.

  

• Small and Medium Enterprises: Retail, manufacturing, services, and creative industries sustained significant losses, with liquidity and recovery support needed to rebuild inventories, repair facilities, and restart operations.

Government Response and Recovery Measures

Holness outlined a series of relief and recovery initiatives:

• Housing: Over 116,000 structures were damaged, with “severe or catastrophic damage” in affected parishes. A building support programme will allocate $10 million to each of Westmoreland, St Elizabeth, St James, Hanover, and Trelawny; $5 million to St Ann and Clarendon; and $3 million to all other constituencies.

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• Mortgage Relief: NHT mortgagors in hardest-hit parishes will receive an automatic six-month moratorium. A $3.5 million home improvement loan and special grants up to $500,000 are also available.

• Tax Relief: The government extended exemptions on customs duties and General Consumption Tax for relief shipments until the end of December. Items covered include solar panels, inverters, Starlink satellite internet kits, and other emergency equipment to restore power and communications.

• Economic Restart: Jamaicans in unaffected areas are urged to resume economic activity to offset revenue losses from storm-hit parishes.

Holness emphasized the importance of climate-resilient rebuilding: “Every repaired bridge, re-roofed home, and rebuilt road must be designed for the storms of tomorrow, not the storms of yesterday.”

Security and Humanitarian Concerns

The Prime Minister acknowledged calls for curfews and emergency measures amid reports of looting and attacks on relief personnel but stressed that security operations are being carefully planned to avoid conflict with humanitarian efforts. Special measures are being implemented along routes transporting relief and at storage sites for supplies.

Looking Ahead

Holness said the government is mobilizing regional allies, development agencies, and the private sector for recovery funding, while continuing efforts to provide immediate essentials such as food, water, and medical support. He also waived import taxes on relief equipment to speed up recovery, urging Jamaicans to share resources with affected communities: “If you can buy 2 Starlinks and send one to a family or community, do it. If you can buy solar batteries and solar panels and give it to a community or household, please do so.”

The scale of Hurricane Melissa’s destruction has underscored both Jamaica’s vulnerability to intensifying storms fueled by climate change and the urgent need for resilient infrastructure, effective disaster planning, and international support.