As Jamaica braces for Hurricane Melissa, a nation defined by resilience meets its greatest test.

3 Narratives News | October 28, 2025 

Intro

When the eye of Hurricane Melissa crossed Jamaica’s southern coast just after dawn, winds roared at nearly 185 mph (295 km/h). Entire hillsides shuddered, palm trees folded, and Kingston’s skyline blurred behind white curtains of rain. Across the island, families huddled in schools and churches now turned into shelters, clinging to one another as the storm of the century howled above. For most Jamaicans, this is no longer about forecasts; it’s about endurance.

Context

Melissa, a Category 5 hurricane and the most powerful on record to strike Jamaica, just made landfall after churning slowly across the Caribbean. The system is expected to crawl toward the north coast before veering toward eastern Cuba and the Bahamas. The UN and the World Meteorological Organization warned it could be Jamaica’s “worst storm this century.”
According to the Associated Press, more than 1.5 million people are affected. Flooding has cut major highways, and at least three fatalities have been confirmed. Power and communications remain down across several parishes.

Narrative 1 — People and Human Resilience

In Jamaica’s villages and cities, resilience is more than a word; it’s muscle memory. In Portland, neighbours form chains to move the elderly to higher ground. In Kingston, students from the University of the West Indies help reinforce shelters, turning lecture halls into lifelines. Churches sing through the wind; volunteers ladle soup under flickering lanterns.

“We’ve seen storms, but nothing like this,” said Yvonne Thompson, a nurse in Clarendon.

“Still, we stay together. That’s how Jamaica survives.” — Yvonne Thompson, Clarendon Parish nurse

The Jamaica Red Cross has mobilized hundreds of volunteers, pre-positioning supplies before landfall (Red Cross). Families store water in cut plastic bottles, secure windows with plywood, and use WhatsApp groups to coordinate rescues. In moments when infrastructure collapses, humanity fills the void.

Faith and culture form a second shield. Pastors broadcast prayers by radio, reggae stations loop Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds,” and parents reassure children that “every little thing is gonna be alright.” These small rituals sustain morale when the lights go out.

Even diaspora networks extend lifelines. In Toronto, London, and Miami, Jamaicans organize donation drives and livestream check-ins, creating a global net of empathy that transcends power outages at home.

Narrative 2 — Pro-Active Precautions

Inside the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), radio chatter is constant. Shelters  881 in total are open across all parishes (ODPEM). Evacuations were ordered from Port Royal to St. Thomas hours before impact. The Prime Minister, Andrew Holness, addressed the nation Monday night, urging calm and cooperation.

“There is no infrastructure in the region that can withstand a Category 5. Our only defence is preparedness.”  Andrew Holness, Prime Minister of Jamaica

International partners moved early. The IFRC, UNICEF, and Project HOPE deployed pre-stocked kits, tents, tarps, and medical supplies across Kingston and Montego Bay. Telecom carriers waived fees to keep communication open; the NSWMA readied debris-removal brigades (NSWMA).

Local emergency protocols, refined since Hurricane Gilbert (1988), are being stress-tested. The country’s meteorological service disseminates hourly bulletins by short-wave radio and community loudspeakers. Police and Defence Force patrols escort residents to shelters as floodwaters rise.

Despite structural weaknesses in housing and energy networks, Jamaica’s planning layered through drills, awareness campaigns, and early-warning systems has bought precious time. Each hour of readiness may save hundreds of lives.

Surviving the Hurricane

Beneath resilience and readiness lies an unspoken truth: storms like Melissa are reshaping the Caribbean’s future. Rising sea-surface temperatures have turned each hurricane season into a high-stakes gamble. The slow-moving nature of Melissa means not just wind damage but sustained flooding, an assault on infrastructure, agriculture, and mental health.

Jamaica’s economy, reliant on tourism and imports, faces a secondary wave of disruption: airports closed, ports halted, and global supply routes severed. Yet amid chaos, the island’s collective memory may become its most valuable asset. Recovery will depend on how quickly communities, diaspora, and international agencies rebuild trust as much as buildings.

As Melissa inches north, the question becomes larger than the weather. It asks whether small island nations can ever be truly prepared for a climate that no longer obeys memory.

Key Takeaways

• Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica as a Category 5 storm with winds near 185 mph, the strongest in its history.
• More than 1.5 million people are affected; at least three fatalities confirmed as of October 28, 2025.
• Jamaica’s resilience is anchored in community networks, faith, and diaspora support.
• Proactive preparedness measures and international aid were mobilized before landfall.
• The storm underscores climate-driven vulnerability across Caribbean nations.

Questions This Article Answers

1. How severe is Hurricane Melissa compared to past storms in Jamaica?
2. What measures did the Jamaican government and agencies take to prepare?
3. How are communities and diaspora responding on the ground?
4. What are the broader climate implications of a slow-moving Category 5 storm?
5. What will recovery and international support look like after landfall?

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