The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) has ramped up regional relief and coordination efforts to support Jamaica, Haiti, and neighbouring territories in the wake of Hurricane Melissa, the most powerful storm ever to hit Jamaica and one of the most intense ever recorded in the Atlantic Basin.
Speaking during a regional press conference on Wednesday, Executive Director Elizabeth Riley detailed the scale of the devastation and outlined how the regional response mechanism has been mobilised to meet the urgent needs of affected communities.
“Over the past forty-eight hours, we have seen catastrophic impacts across Jamaica, and we also stand firmly with our brothers and sisters in The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands, who are at risk of possible impacts as the system moves northeastward,” Riley said.
Unprecedented Storm and Widespread Damage
Riley confirmed that Hurricane Melissa began as a tropical disturbance on 21 October and underwent “record-breaking rapid strengthening”, intensifying from a tropical storm to a Category 4 hurricane in less than 24 hours, and to a Category 5 system in just over two days.
“At its peak,” she said, “the system produced sustained winds of 295 kilometres per hour, a central pressure of 892 hectopascals, and rainfall totals exceeding 25 inches across Jamaica’s mountainous terrain.”
The hurricane made landfall in western Jamaica around 11 a.m. on October 28, with the eye crossing St Elizabeth and Westmoreland. The Barnett River in Montego Bay overflowed by up to 16 feet, submerging entire sections of Westgate and Freeport. Infrastructure damage and blocked roads have been reported in St Elizabeth, Manchester, Clarendon, and St Thomas.
Preliminary national reports indicate that 225,000 people are housed in 832 emergency shelters island wide. Seventy-seven percent of Jamaica’s electricity customers, about 540,000 people, remain without power, while nearly 700 water systems are either offline or compromised.
“At 8 a.m. today, the Government of Jamaica issued the all-clear, allowing national agencies to transition to early recovery operations,” Riley noted. “Search and rescue and assessment teams are currently conducting aerial reconnaissance and field assessments to inform the scale of additional support required. All shelters remain open under the government’s directive that no one will be turned away.”
Coordinated Regional Action
Riley outlined the series of regional readiness actions taken by CDEMA since Melissa’s formation.
“We activated the Regional Coordination Plan at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, October 21, and placed the Regional Response Mechanism on high alert,” she said. “We have provided frequent briefings to CARICOM leadership, engaged national disaster agencies in all threatened states, and convened multiple operational meetings with our Caribbean Development Partners Group to ensure alignment of national and regional priorities.”
Through these mechanisms, CDEMA has coordinated closely with the United Nations, the World Food Programme (WFP), the European Union, and regional military partners. A French naval vessel, D’Entrecasteaux, is currently docked in Bridgetown, Barbados, being loaded with relief supplies, including tents, generators, and hygiene kits, destined for Jamaica. A relief flight carrying 26 metric tonnes of food kits is also expected to depart Barbados by the weekend.
“Through the work of our Regional Coordination Centre, we are tracking pledges and incoming supplies through the Control Tower mechanism under the Regional Relief and Logistics Thematic Working Group,” Riley said. “This ensures transparency and coordination so that aid gets to where it is most needed.”
Telecommunications, Power, and Health Response
At Jamaica’s request, CDEMA has mobilised emergency telecommunications teams in collaboration with the WFP and the International Telecommunications Union to restore connectivity for emergency services and the national operations centre. Riley confirmed that assessment of network damage is ongoing, with restoration efforts prioritising “saving lives, emergency coordination, health facilities, and shelters.”
In addition, CDEMA is coordinating with CARILEC, the regional association of electricity companies, to mobilise personnel for power restoration, and with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and CARPHA to assess health facilities and deploy emergency medical teams.
Regional and International Solidarity
Riley expressed appreciation for the widespread regional and international support already being mobilised.
“Security arrangements, if required, are being coordinated through the Regional Security System to ensure the safe movement of relief personnel and supplies,” she said. “We have six of our regional surge teams on standby, including search and rescue, telecommunications, mental health and psychosocial support, and the Caribbean Disaster Relief Unit.”
She thanked regional and international partners for their commitment and resources.
“We wish to thank the European Union, the Caribbean Development Bank, the CARICOM Development Fund, and the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for providing financial and logistical support. The spirit of Caribbean unity remains strong,” Riley added. “CDEMA’s twenty participating states continue to demonstrate that we are one Caribbean family, ready to support one another in times of need. Together, we reaffirm that the Caribbean’s strength lies in its unity and preparedness.”
How to Help
Individuals and organisations wishing to contribute to the relief and recovery effort can make verified donations via the official portal: supportjamaica.gov.jm.
CDEMA and its partners continue to monitor Hurricane Melissa as it moves northeast across The Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands, with response teams on standby for possible activation in those territories.
Key Needs Identified:
- Emergency shelter and hygiene kits
- Potable water and mobile desalination units
- Medical supplies and hospital fuel
- Food aid and agricultural recovery support
- Power and communications restoration
Source: CDEMA Press Conference, 29 October 2025; CDEMA Situation Report No. 3 – Hurricane Melissa
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