In the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, Cornwall Regional Hospital in St. James buzzed with activity as staff and volunteers cleaned and cleared debris strewn throughout the hospital building and grounds to ensure patient safety and continuity of care. Amid the rain-soaked wards, doctors, nurses, and ordinary Jamaicans continued to work, not in despair but in defiance of it. For Head...

The Black River High School board and administration are mapping out a path for the safe return of students to the institution, which suffered significant damage during the passage of Hurricane Melissa. The first step was a clean-up day held on Friday (November 14), where parents, students, and other stakeholders came together to clean and clear debris from the school...

More than US$20 million has been raised through the GoFundMe platform, to date, from donors around the world to help families, businesses, and communities in Jamaica recover from Hurricane Melissa, which made landfall in the island on October 28. The figure was disclosed to the Jamaica Information Service (JIS) in response to a query made to the United States-based website....

Hurricane Melissa, at Category Five strength, has severely impacted the majority of residents in Black River, St. Elizabeth. Among those adversely affected is seven-year-old Layla Mullings, who conveys the devastation of her family home in Luana through drawings – one showing their house before the hurricane, the other capturing its ruin after the powerful cyclone swept across Jamaica on October...

In the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa’s devastating passage on October 28, two young survivors of the Category Five cyclone are calling for urgent community-driven recovery efforts. Their appeal reinforces the importance of proactive, collective action in tandem with national rebuilding initiatives. Above all, they are urging communities to set aside differences, where these may exist, and unite in the urgent...

Business interests and hospitality leaders across Jamaica are rallying around a bold message: entertainment and attractions will play a central role in jump-starting the country’s recovery from the devastation wrought by Hurricane Melissa. The consensus is that fast action in the resort belt, coupled with a visible return to normalcy through vibrant entertainment, will help restore confidence, reopen tourism, and...

When the winds roared through the valleys of Westmoreland and the rain pounded relentlessly against rooftops, three women, Corretta James-Yapp, Gloria Findley-McDonald, and Sherlette Wheelan, found their lives uprooted by the ferocity of Hurricane Melissa. Their stories, told in quiet voices, still edged with disbelief, spoke of terror, loss, and gratitude. Although each lost her home, all share a single...

In the wake of Hurricane Melissa’s passage on October 28, Church Corner resident, Sylvia DaCosta, remains deeply grateful for the refuge she found at Paul Bogle High School in St. Thomas – a sanctuary once again through another major weather event. Ms. DaCosta recalls seeking shelter at the school since 1988, weathering some of the nation’s fiercest storms, including the...

The administration at the St. Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) remains hopeful, believing in the resilience of the school and its community to rebuild the institution that has been destroyed by the passage of the powerful Hurricane Melissa. The category five storm made landfall on Tuesday (Oct. 28) with maximum sustained winds estimated at 295 kilometres per hour (185 miles),...