Unfinished Melissa Recovery Raises Alarm Before 2026 Hurricane Season

THE EDITOR, Madam: Jamaica is less than a fortnight away from the June 1 opening of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, yet too many people are facing the period with anxiety rather than confidence in the country’s readiness.

In parts of Westmoreland, power only came back recently for some residents after Hurricane Melissa battered communities on October 28, 2025. Across western and southern parishes, especially St Elizabeth and Westmoreland, numerous households are still sheltering beneath tarpaulins because damaged roofs have not been fixed. Some people also remain uprooted, with no house available for them to return to.

The state of designated shelters is another serious worry. Information coming from communities in St Elizabeth suggests that several facilities are not yet sound enough to safely receive residents should another powerful system affect the island. A number of churches and schools listed for emergency use are still badly damaged. After what Melissa caused, vulnerable Jamaicans need more than promises that they will be protected.

The slow use of relief money makes the situation even harder to accept. An audit report laid in Parliament and reported by The Gleaner on May 12, 2026, said just 1.8 per cent of the $1.44 billion donated had been spent up to February 2026, with delays reportedly linked to authorisation from the Ministry of Finance. That leaves painful questions about why families are still living under tarps, why shelters remain unready, and why some citizens are still homeless seven months after the storm.

Recovery cannot be allowed to crawl through official delays while Jamaicans continue to live with heat, rain and insecurity. People at home and in the diaspora contributed in good faith because they expected assistance to reach those in need quickly.

With another hurricane season at the doorstep, Jamaica is still dealing with incomplete rebuilding, fragile facilities and residents left exposed. The Government and ODPEM must respond with speed, openness and firm action.

Juvelle Taylor