Situation Report 8 Jamaica - Hurricane Melissa. 3 November 2025

Hurricane Melissa made landfall on Jamaica’s south coast as a Category 5 hurricane at 12 noon on October 28, 2025, near New Hope in Westmoreland, causing catastrophic damage across the Southern and Western Regions. On the same day, the Prime Minister declared the entire country a disaster area under the Disaster Risk Management (Declaration of Disaster Area) (Hurricane Melissa) Order, 2025. 

The UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) has allocated US$4 million for humanitarian operations, with PAHO submitting the health sector proposal.

One Emergency Medical Team (EMT) has been deployed to Black River Hospital, and the Ministry of Health and Wellness has confirmed three additional EMTs, with site selection currently underway. 

As of November 3, thirty-two deaths have been confirmed due to hurricane-related injuries, including three reported prior to landfall. PAHO’s damage assessment team will conduct structural and WASH assessments at Cornwall Regional Hospital on November 4. Five hospitals in the South-East Region have resumed full services, including the main referral hospitals—Kingston Public Hospital, National Chest Hospital, and Victoria Jubilee Hospital—as well as Princess Margaret Hospital in St. Thomas and Spanish Town Hospital in St. Catherine. PAHO continues to support the Ministry in ensuring continuity of health services, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Mental Health and Psychosocial Support, Post-Disaster Infrastructure Assessments, and coordination. The National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) remains at Activation Level 3.