“Hurricane Melissa Devastates Jamaica with Floods and Power Outages”

The English chronicle desk. The English chronicle online

Published: 29 October 2025

Jamaica is reeling in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, as the full extent of the devastation gradually emerges. Stripped of power and phone coverage, much of the country remains isolated, with information slowly trickling in about the damage caused by the catastrophic storm.

Authorities report that nearly three-quarters of the country lost electricity overnight, while the numbers of injured or missing residents remain uncertain. Many areas, particularly on the western side of the island, are submerged under water, and homes have been severely damaged or destroyed by powerful winds that swept across Jamaica with unprecedented force.

One local official described the scene as resembling “the set of an apocalypse movie,” a stark testament to the intensity of the hurricane. With communication channels crippled, the true scale of the disaster is still unknown.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness declared the island a “disaster area” on Tuesday, warning of “devastating impacts” and “significant damage” to hospitals, homes, and businesses. While no fatalities have yet been officially confirmed, Montego Bay Mayor Richard Vernon emphasized that his immediate priority was “to check if everybody is alive” as daylight revealed the full scope of flooding and damage.

In the southwestern parish of St Elizabeth, often called Jamaica’s breadbasket for its agricultural output, floodwaters have inundated large areas. Local government minister Desmond Mckenzie reported that at least three families remain trapped in their homes in the community of Black River. “Rescue teams are struggling to reach them because of the dangerous conditions,” he said during a news briefing.

For residents like 73-year-old vegetable farmer Verna Genus, the storm was a personal catastrophe. Sheltering with her sons and a baby grandchild in Carlisle, St Elizabeth, she watched in horror as Hurricane Melissa ripped the zinc roof off her four-bedroom home. With power lines down, she has lost all communications, though her UK-based sister June Powell shared the harrowing account with the BBC. “You are huddled up inside, and then you look up — the roof is gone,” June said. “I have never heard her like that — she was wailing, ‘we are all finished.’”

The hurricane has left agricultural fields submerged, threatening the livelihoods of countless farmers across the parish. The financial recovery for many families dependent on crop production is expected to be slow and challenging.

Montego Bay, the hub of Jamaica’s tourism industry and home to its main airport, has also been heavily affected. Mayor Vernon reported that floodwaters split the city in two, cutting off access between neighborhoods and leaving residents isolated. “Once the wind subsided, we started to get heavy rain, which led to massive floods across the city,” he said.

Rural areas of the island are equally impacted. Tamisha Lee, president of the Jamaica Network of Rural Women Producers, described widespread destruction. “Right now, what I’m seeing is heavy rain, powerful wind, a lot of things flying all over the place, and uprooted trees. There is no electricity. I am feeling anxious and tense. The damage will be enormous,” she said.

Meteorologists have noted that Hurricane Melissa intensified at an exceptionally rapid rate, fueled by unusually warm Caribbean waters — a phenomenon increasingly linked to climate change. By the time it struck Jamaica, the hurricane had reached Category 5 strength, with winds strong enough to tear roofs from concrete homes, uproot trees, and snap power poles. Health officials also issued warnings about crocodiles, cautioning that rising floodwaters could drive them into residential areas.

Tourists caught on the island faced terrifying conditions. Pia Chevallier from Cambridge, visiting Jamaica with her teenage son, described the chaos from her darkened hotel room. “The glass in the windows and patio doors was all vibrating. The doors sounded like they were slamming, even though they were closed. It was horrendous,” she said. Debris, including uprooted palm trees and fallen coconuts, littered streets, she added.

Others, including British tourists Wayne Gibson and his family in Ocho Rios and Kyle Holmes in Lucea, sought refuge in communal shelters or damaged hotels, unsure of when they could return home.

By early Wednesday, Hurricane Melissa had moved on to Cuba, weakening to Category 3 but still packing wind speeds exceeding 200 km/h (124 mph). Jamaica, meanwhile, remains paralysed and silent, grappling with the immediate consequences of the storm.

The government has a catastrophe bond, a specialized form of insurance designed to aid in post-disaster recovery, which may help residents rebuild in the long term. Yet, the urgent challenge lies in the short-term response: restoring communications, reaching stranded residents, and providing food, water, and medical care in the affected areas.

As the island slowly emerges from the storm, the coming days will reveal the true extent of Hurricane Melissa’s impact on communities, agriculture, infrastructure, and the Jamaican economy at large.