The St. James Public Health Department is collecting water samples from various sources across the parish as part of efforts to ensure that residents have access to clean and safe drinking water in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa. Acting Chief Public Health Inspector, Sherika Lewis, said the department is carrying out field inspections on water sources that emerged or were...

The House of Representatives observed a minute of silence in honour of the lives lost during the passage of Hurricane Melissa during its sitting on Tuesday (November 4). The category-five system that made landfall on October 28, 2025, was the strongest storm to hit the island in recorded history. The torrential rains, storm surges and catastrophic flooding caused by Hurricane...

Following the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa on October 28, business owners in St. Thomas have united to mobilise a series of donations for communities most severely impacted by the disaster in western Jamaica. Dubbed ‘St. Thomas Helping Hands’, the initiative has facilitated the assembly of more than 700 care packages, to date, containing food, clothing, and personal items. Additional...

The Water Resources Authority (WRA) is reporting that the flooding affecting sections of Content in Williamsfield in Manchester is due to a significant rise in groundwater levels in the local aquifer system. Groundwater measurements from the Content borehole indicate that between September 25 and November 3, Jamaica’s groundwater levels increased by about 100 metres (330 feet). The rise occurred as...

Most roadways in Trelawny Northern have been successfully cleared by the National Works Agency (NWA) and contractors, following Hurricane Melissa’s impact. Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development with Responsibility for Works, Hon. Robert Morgan, says the majority of roadways are now accommodating either single- or double-lane traffic. “North Trelawny is a very important tourist...

Police personnel in St. Elizabeth who were affected by Hurricane Melissa are receiving psychological support and counselling as the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) moves swiftly to assist members impacted by the devastating category-five storm. Head of the St. Elizabeth Police Division, Superintendent Coleridge Minto, told JIS News that approximately 70 police members across the parish have, so far, been identified...

The Government is reporting that more than 600 educational institutions sustained damage during the passage of category-five Hurricane Melissa. “In the affected parishes, we have a little bit over 450 schools that have been affected, and that’s across the board – infant schools, primary schools, secondary schools and also eight tertiary schools. So far, we’ve seen estimates of 616 institutions...