Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 storm with 185 mph (300 km/h) winds, struck Jamaica last Tuesday and has left at least 28 people dead as officials continue to verify additional reports. Western parishes including Westmoreland and Saint Elizabeth suffered severe destruction; many communities remain cut off and widespread power and communications outages are hampering rescue and damage assessments. The storm also killed at least 31 people in Haiti and damaged parts of Cuba and the Dominican Republic. UN officials warn the economic toll could equal Jamaica's annual GDP (~$20 billion), and the UN has allocated $4 million for humanitarian response while international medical and emergency teams deploy.
Hurricane Melissa Devastates Western Jamaica — Death Toll Rises to 28; UN Warns Economic Loss Could Match GDP
Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 storm with 185 mph (300 km/h) winds, struck Jamaica last Tuesday and has left at least 28 people dead as officials continue to verify additional reports. Western parishes including Westmoreland and Saint Elizabeth suffered severe destruction; many communities remain cut off and widespread power and communications outages are hampering rescue and damage assessments. The storm also killed at least 31 people in Haiti and damaged parts of Cuba and the Dominican Republic. UN officials warn the economic toll could equal Jamaica's annual GDP (~$20 billion), and the UN has allocated $4 million for humanitarian response while international medical and emergency teams deploy.
23:44, 02.11.2025Environment
Hurricane Melissa Devastates Western Jamaica
Communities across western Jamaica remained in desperate condition on Sunday, days after the record-setting Hurricane Melissa struck the island as a Category 5 storm with sustained winds of 185 mph (300 km/h). Prime Minister Andrew Holness confirmed a revised death toll of 28, nine higher than earlier reports, and said additional possible fatalities were still being verified.
Widespread destruction and outages
The storm carved a violent path through the Caribbean, killing at least 31 people in Haiti — including 10 children who drowned in severe flooding — and causing damage in parts of Cuba and the Dominican Republic. In Jamaica, the worst destruction was reported in the western parishes of Westmoreland and Saint Elizabeth. AFP reporters described towns such as Whitehouse where buildings were demolished, corrugated roofs lay scattered, power lines were down, and trees stood stripped of foliage.
Numerous communities remain cut off with many homes, hospitals, businesses and public buildings badly damaged or destroyed. Large areas are still without electricity or phone service, complicating search-and-rescue efforts and making it difficult to confirm the full death toll and the scope of needs.
"There are additional reports of possible fatalities that are still being verified," Prime Minister Andrew Holness wrote on X as crews continued search and recovery operations.
Humanitarian response and economic impact
International relief has begun to arrive. The World Health Organization and other agencies have deployed medical teams, and U.S. emergency responders are on the ground. The United Nations has released $4 million from its Central Emergency Response Fund to scale up humanitarian assistance.
Senior UN officials warned the economic consequences will be profound. Nahuel Arenas, head of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction for the Americas and the Caribbean, said it is estimated that Melissa could cause economic losses equivalent to Jamaica's annual GDP — roughly $20 billion according to World Bank figures for 2024. UN Secretary-General António Guterres stressed that international support and the "mobilization of massive resources" are crucial to address the crisis.
Outlook
With power, communications and transport infrastructure severely disrupted, authorities and aid agencies face urgent challenges in delivering relief, restoring services and conducting a comprehensive damage assessment. Officials warned that recovery and rebuilding will be a long and costly process for Jamaica and the wider Caribbean region.