Hurricane Melissa Damages in Jamaica and Haiti Estimated at Billions, Death Toll Climbs to 75
Jamaica is facing a massive economic hit and a growing humanitarian crisis after Hurricane Melissa, the strongest storm ever to strike the nation, caused an estimated $6 billion to $7 billion in damage and left at least 32 people dead, with Haiti reporting 43 fatalities.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness addressed the Jamaican Parliament yesterday, stating the damage represents roughly 28% to 32% of the country’s 2024 gross domestic product. He warned that the costs will significantly increase Jamaica’s debt-to-GDP ratio and necessitate the temporary suspension of the nation’s fiscal rules. “Experts describe Melissa to be on the very edge of what is physically possible in the Atlantic Ocean, a storm powered by record sea temperatures,” Holness said. “Its force was so immense that seismographs hundreds of miles away registered its passage.” The storm’s impact on agriculture, already weakened by last year’s Hurricane Beryl, is expected to drive up food prices.
While Cuba evacuated hundreds of thousands of residents and reported no deaths, Haiti suffered devastating flooding from days of torrential rain, even though it wasn’t directly hit by the hurricane. In one Haitian town, 25 people died, including 10 children, and nearly 12,000 homes were flooded. The combined devastation underscores the vulnerability of Caribbean nations to increasingly intense weather events linked to climate change. Holness also announced import tax waivers for relief supplies, including solar panels and Starlink kits, and pledged to rebuild infrastructure to withstand future storms, including moving parts of the electric grid underground – a move mirroring efforts to strengthen grid resilience in the United States.
As of today, more than 30 Jamaican communities remain cut off due to damaged roads and bridges, and response efforts are hampered by shortages of essential personnel and equipment. Officials anticipate the death toll will continue to rise as recovery efforts progress in both Jamaica and Haiti.
