“No inch here was spared” — Jamaica reels from record-breaking storm
By Sudhir Choudhary
The Caribbean island of Jamaica has entered the grim aftermath of what officials say is the strongest hurricane ever to make landfall on the island. Hurricane Melissa struck late on October 28, 2025 as a Category 5 storm and left a trail of destruction, with whole towns in the south-west described as “ground zero” for devastation.
A town shattered
In the historic seaport town of Black River in St Elizabeth parish, up to 90 % of structures lost their roofs, according to aerial surveys. (AP News) Homes, shops and public buildings lie gutted; the famed bamboo tunnel drive into the town is shredded and impassable. (AP News) Soldiers and relief teams hacking through fallen trees, toppled power-poles and years-old buildings that “just collapsed” paint a picture of overwhelming damage.
Destruction extended beyond Black River. Officials say the municipal building, the local infirmary, roads and the courthouse in nearby townships were demolished. “It is not a pretty reading,” said a government minister. (Reuters)
One resident, Marcia Green, found her hair salon gone, the neighbourhood I knew destroyed. Another, Pamella Foster, described returning to find her home with no door, no windows, “nothing remains”. (Reuters)
The scale of the storm
Meteorologists record the storm’s landfall wind-speeds at up to 185 mph (≈295 kph), making Melissa the most powerful hurricane to ever strike Jamaica. (Reuters) Such speeds place it among the strongest Atlantic storms on record. The storm battered the south‐western coast, moving slowly and allowing catastrophic flooding, landslides and structural collapse to intensify. (https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com)
At least 19 people have been confirmed dead in Jamaica so far, with rescue and recovery efforts still ongoing in remote and cut-off zones. (The Guardian) More than 460,000 homes and businesses are without power, major portions of the water and communications infrastructure are inoperative. (Reuters)
Humanitarian alarm bells
Children and vulnerable families lie among the hardest hit. According to UNICEF, over 284,000 children are now in urgent need of assistance in Jamaica; disrupted water supplies, collapsed schools and damaged health centres are placing them at serious risk. (unicefusa.org)
Access to many of the worst-hit communities remains blocked by fallen trees, mud-slides and downed power lines. Aid convoys say the clearance is precarious and rescue teams are still working to reach isolated villages. (unicefusa.org)
Why this matters
- The intensity and slow motion of Hurricane Melissa illustrate the heightened risk posed by extreme hurricanes—especially in vulnerable coastal towns.
- Infrastructure that was already fragile is now largely destroyed; rebuilding will be long-term and costly.
- Jamaica’s economy, heavily reliant on tourism and agriculture, will take a major hit as ports, roads, farms and hotels lie in wreckage.
- The calamity also underscores the urgency of climate adaptation and disaster-resilience efforts in the Caribbean, as scientists link intensifying storms to warming seas. (Reuters)
On the ground: what comes next
Short-term priorities include:
- Clearing roads, restoring electricity and communications, delivering emergency water and shelter.
- Locating missing persons, accounting for fatalities, and stabilising public health to prevent water-borne disease outbreaks.
- Opening temporary shelters and supporting families whose homes are destroyed.
Medium to long-term:
- Rebuilding critical infrastructure—schools, hospitals, ports and homes—with stronger standards.
- Supporting economic recovery in tourism, agriculture and small business sectors.
- Developing early warning systems, safe-zones and evacuation routes for future extreme weather.
- Mobilising international assistance and climate-finance to help Jamaica recover.
Editor’s note
As an ex-loco-pilot I know how quickly you can go from skies of calm to storms that halt all motion. Now, Jamaica must navigate the turbulence of recovery. The phrase heard in Black River—“No inch here was spared”—is chilling, but amid the rubble arises the spirit of a nation that will rebuild.
