The Price of Permanence: What Jamaica Must Decide After the Storm

When a hurricane passes, it leaves behind more than debris. It leaves behind exposure.

Exposure of drainage systems that were adequate — until they weren’t.
Exposure of roofs that met code — but not reality.
Exposure of economic models that assume disruption is occasional, not cyclical.

Hurricane Melissa did not just damage infrastructure. It revealed assumptions.

And that is why the national conversation should not begin with, “Should Jamaicans pay more?” That is too small a question for the scale of what we are facing.

The deeper question is this:
Are we prepared to pay for permanence — or are we content to keep paying for repair?

Because those are two very different national strategies.

Disaster Is Not an Interruption Anymore

There was a time when severe weather events were described as once-in-a-generation occurrences. That language is fading. Consecutive years of significant storms have reshaped the timeline.

If disruption becomes rhythm, then recovery cannot remain improvisation.

Countries …