Jamaica: Hurricane Melissa - Situation Report No. 4 (as of 11 November)

KEY POINTS

  • 45 confirmed deaths and almost 1.6 million people affected as recovery efforts continue two weeks after Hurricane Melissa.
  • Two communities in St Elizabeth and Westmoreland remain isolated and accessible only by air; access is improving, though renewed rainfall could again cut off vulnerable areas.
  • Persistent flooding in low-lying coastal zones due to rising groundwater levels continues to delay recovery operations.
  • Health services gradually resuming: two Type 2 Emergency Medical Teams are operational, five major hospitals are under repair, and the national vaccination cold chain remains intact.
  • Water supply restoration continues across several parishes, with mobile purification units deployed; UNICEF and partners are leading WASH coordination.

45 Confirmed deaths
9k Communities reached so far with food assistance
1k People in 88 active shelters
130M (J$20 billion) in agricultural losses
60% Of customers have restored power

SITUATION OVERVIEW

Two weeks after Hurricane Melissa made landfall, communities across Jamaica’s western and southern parishes continue to face severe impacts and a slow path to recovery. More than 1.6 million people have been affected, with 45 confirmed deaths and 15 still missing with the number expected to rise. The hardest-hit parishes are St Elizabeth (18 deaths) and Westmoreland (15), with additional fatalities in St James (6), Hanover (2), Trelawny (2), St Ann (1), and Portland (1). Post-mortem examinations have been completed for 33 victims, with further investigations ongoing.

The final two marooned communities, Cambridge and Petersville, are now accessible. Access has improved across most parishes; however, renewed rainfall forecast for the coming week could again isolate recently reconnected areas due to extensive debris and unstable road and bridge conditions.

In several low-lying and coastal areas, rising groundwater levels and persistent soil saturation are prolonging flooding and complicating recovery operations. Water continues to seep from the subsurface even after surface floods have receded, delaying cleanup efforts, undermining road foundations, and increasing contamination risks for shallow wells and latrines.

A multi-agency team including the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF), World Food Programme (WFP), Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), MapAction, United States Urban Search and Rescue (US USAR), One Love, and other partners continues to update the Common Operational Picture (COP) daily, providing near-real-time situational awareness and geospatial data through the ReliefWeb response portal.

In the agriculture and fisheries sectors, preliminary losses exceed J$20 billion (approximately US$124.5M), underscoring the hurricane’s devastating impact on rural livelihoods and food security. Damage to crops, livestock, and coastal infrastructure is expected to constrain household income and national food availability in the short term.

Preliminary scientific analysis indicates that Hurricane Melissa’s exceptional intensity was amplified by record-warm sea-surface temperatures, making it a clear example of a climate-change-influenced extreme event. According to the World Weather Attribution Network, climate change likely increased wind speeds by ~7 % and rainfall by up to 16 %, heightening damage potential and recovery costs.

Persistent debris accumulation, damaged sanitation systems, and prolonged power and communications outages continue to heighten the risk of water- and vector-borne disease outbreaks. Meanwhile, protection concerns persist for displaced families and those in isolated communities that can only be accessed by air.