As officials of Caribbean islands assess damage from Hurricane Melissa, the storm remains powerful as it heads toward Bermuda. The hardest hit islands include Cuba, Haiti and Jamaica.
The Category 5 hurricane made landfall on Tuesday, October 28, on Jamaica’s southwest bringing 185 mph winds and a deluge of rain and storm surge, tearing off roofs, downing trees and flooding streets.
Aviation Week reports that Montego Bay’s Sangster International Airport (MBJ) has seven damaged gates that will remain closed until repairs are completed. A handful of gates remain open, and relief flights began landing at MBJ yesterday. A limited number of commercial flights are expected to arrive today. Limited commercial and relief flights are already coming into Jamaica’s two other international airports, Kingston’s Norman Manley International Airport (KIN) and Ian Fleming International Airport (OCJ) in Ocho Rios.
“There are people who still have not been able to make contact with their families, their loved ones, their friends, and road access is still impossible,” Jamaican Transport Minister Daryl Vaz said. “So you can imagine a deep, deep sense of worry that is widespread across Jamaica.”
In a press release, Jamaican Tourism Minister Edmund Barnett stated that he planned to have Jamaica open for business by December 15, 2025, and has activated a Hurricane Melissa Recovery Task Force and a companion Tourism Resilience Coordination Committee to align public and private sector efforts. These groups will fast-track infrastructure repairs, coordinate relief for tourism workers and MSMEs (Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises), and restore market confidence ahead of the winter season.
“Tourism’s strength lies not just in its product offerings, but in its people and partnerships,” Barnett said. “The speed and synergy of our response show the industry’s resilience and our unwavering commitment to recovery with empathy, compassion, and innovation,” added the tourism minister. Daily progress reports can be found online at Visit Jamaica’s Travel Alerts page.
NPR reported that the dismantling of USAID earlier this year will undermine the efficiency of search and rescue and rebuilding efforts. American relief packages will now come through the State Department.
“The United States is in close contact with the governments of Jamaica, Haiti, Dominican Republic and The Bahamas as they confront the devastating impacts of Hurricane Melissa. We have rescue and response teams heading to affected areas along with critical lifesaving supplies,” said Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday. Concerned readers can make financial contributions at The United Way’s donation page.
Contributions to provide relief for those in the meetings industry can be made via SEARCH Foundation’s donations page.
