Hurricane
Melissa
A permanent record of Hurricane Melissa, documenting every stage of the storm — from the first tropical forecasts through recovery, reconstruction, and the lessons that continue to shape Jamaica.
Interactive Track Map
Melissa’s Path Across the Caribbean
Complete Editorial Archive
Every Article, Every Moment
23 articles spanning nine months — from the first tropical wave advisory to the nine-month retrospective. Each written strictly from the perspective of its publication date.
Data Visualisation Centre
The Numbers Behind Melissa
Interactive charts documenting wind speed, pressure, displacement, tourism recovery, and economic impact across the full arc of Melissa’s life cycle.
Visual Record
Before & After Melissa
Drag the slider to compare conditions before and after the storm across key areas of western Jamaica.
Impact by Parish
Interactive Parish Map
Click any parish to explore its specific Melissa impact, recovery progress, and related coverage.
Click a parish to view
its Melissa impact data
Key Statistics
Hurricane Melissa in Numbers
Human Impact
Voices of Melissa
From first responders to hotel managers, fishermen to social workers — the storm told through the people who lived it.
ODPM Emergency Coordinator
“We had fourteen hours between the hurricane warning and the eye wall. In Caribbean terms, that is not a lot of time to move twelve thousand people.”
Western Region Coordinator — October 26, 2025
Negril Hotel Manager
“I walked out the morning after and the beachfront I’d managed for eleven years was just gone. The wall was gone. The pool was gone. Two-thirds of the garden was underwater.”
Negril Beach Resort — October 28, 2025
Westmoreland Social Worker
“People lost everything — their furniture, their family photographs, the Christmas decorations they’d had for twenty years. We are doing what we can to make it feel like a holiday, but nobody is pretending this is normal.”
Transitional Shelter, Savanna-la-Mar — December 2025
Structural Engineer, Building Code Commission
“The permit says the right things. The question is whether the building is built to the permit. That gap is what killed people on October 26.”
Post-Melissa Damage Assessment — December 2025
Canadian Visitor, December 2025
“It’s not the Negril I remember, but there’s something almost moving about being here right now. You can feel the effort.”
Negril — Christmas Week 2025
Former West End Guesthouse Owner
“The big hotels came back. Some of us didn’t. That’s the part that doesn’t make the press releases.”
Negril West End — July 2026
Prime Minister Andrew Holness
“We did not choose this test. But we will be judged by how we use what we learned from it.”
Year-End Address — December 29, 2025
Browse All Coverage
Archive Explorer
Archive Statistics
This Archive by the Numbers
Reference Library
Sources & Authorities
All articles in this archive cite primary sources from authoritative meteorological, governmental, and international agencies.
Meteorological
National Hurricane Center
nhc.noaa.gov
Meteorological
Caribbean Meteorological Organisation
cmo.org.tt
Emergency Management
ODPEM Jamaica
odpem.org.jm
Economic Assessment
ECLAC — Damage Assessment
eclac.org
International Finance
World Bank — Cat DDO Facility
worldbank.org
International Finance
Inter-American Development Bank
iadb.org
Parametric Insurance
CCRIF — Caribbean Cat Risk Facility
ccrif.org
Building Standards
Building Code Commission Jamaica
bccj.com
Tourism
Jamaica Tourist Board
visitjamaica.com
Environment
NEPA — National Environment & Planning
nepajamaica.com
Finance
Ministry of Finance Jamaica
mof.gov.jm
Humanitarian
Jamaica Red Cross
jrc.org.jm