Approximately 90,000 families in western Jamaica were directly affected by the passage of Hurricane Melissa on October 28. This is according to the initial damage assessment by Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management ODPEM), which also indicated that more than 120,000 buildings lost their roofs. Newly appointed Director General at ODPEM, Commander Alvin Gayle, gave the update on Thursday...

Royal Caribbean International’s Rhapsody of the Seas called at the Falmouth Pier on Tuesday (November 4), offloading more than 120 pallets of essential supplies for communities impacted by Hurricane Melissa. The shipment, intended for displaced citizens, includes bedding, food, bottled water, medical supplies, canned goods, grains, generators, toiletries, juices, and other items. The vessel’s call was a relief operation only,...

Residents from Santa Cruz are now receiving clean, drinking water from the St. Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) well. The access has been made possible through the provision of a generator by businessman Romeich Major, of Romeich Entertainment, to facilitate the pumping of the commodity to serve the institution and the wider community. Since the passage of Hurricane Melissa, which...

The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) and the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) are coordinating efforts to ensure order and facilitate the smooth distribution of relief supplies across St. James in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa. Commanding Officer for the parish, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Eron Samuels, said the collaboration spans all aspects of the hurricane response. “We have been working...

Carnival Horizon, one of the flagship vessels of cruise company Carnival Corporation, docked at Reynolds Pier in Ocho Rios, St. Ann, on November 4 to deliver thousands of hurricane-relief supplies in support of Jamaica’s recovery from Hurricane Melissa. The consignment – comprising bottled water, infant formula, baby food, diapers, hygiene products, and staple cereals – was coordinated for delivery to...

Access has now been restored along key transportation corridors across the island impacted by Hurricane Melissa, reconnecting Ocho Rios to Port Antonio, Morant Bay to Kingston, and Mandeville to Black River, extending through to Negril and Montego Bay. Minister of Energy, Transport and Telecommunications, Hon. Daryl Vaz, made the disclosure during his update at the Hurricane Melissa recovery press briefing...

The Government is taking steps to standardise the Hurricane Melissa relief distribution process. Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) has currently established 22 staging areas across the island, operating under a hub-and-spoke model, to support national relief and recovery efforts. “So they will move from big warehouses to these small hubs, and...