The first Category 5 storm ever to strike the island damaged infrastructure to the extent that it reshaped entire communities, erased livelihoods, and left the western parishes facing a prolonged humanitarian crisis.
Communities Unrecognizable
Entire towns across western Jamaica are now unrecognizable. In places once known for gently rolling farmland, fishing harbors, and small but vibrant town centers, the terrain has been transformed. Houses lie flattened beneath mounds of rubble. Commercial blocks where shops, clinics, and microbusinesses once operated are now empty shells or foundations exposed to the sky. Roads once lined with vendors and schoolchildren are carved through debris fields, broken concrete, and the twisted remnants of roofs.
Loss of Livelihoods and Economic Collapse
Communities that once supported themselves through farming, fishing, tourism, and micro-industries now face a profound economic vacuum. The fishing sector, one of the main economic pillars of coastal towns like Black River, suffered a near-total wipeout. Boats were hurled against riverbanks or lost entirely, engines were destroyed by saltwater, and every cold-storage facility in the region became unusable as electricity failed. Those who depended on the sea for their income had no gear, no storage, and in many cases no home left standing. Farming communities faced their own catastrophe. Crops, livestock, irrigation systems, tools, and small shops were swept away, leaving once self-reliant families dependent entirely on outside assistance. Tourism, long a dependable source of income, has stalled as damaged hotels, washed-out beaches, and impassable roads have delayed reopening plans across western Jamaica. Micro-industries, from food stalls to family-run hairdressers and repair shops, remain dormant in neighborhoods where no power flows, no customers gather, and no materials can be sourced.
Daily Hardship
The lack of reliable electricity has compounded every difficulty. Many districts still spend their evenings in darkness, interrupted only by the persistent rumble of generators that families and community centers use to cook a meal, light a single room, or charge a phone. The national grid remains unstable in large portions of the western parishes where poles fell in domino lines and transformers exploded during the storm. At night, the sound of machinery competes with the silence of communities struggling to rebuild pieces of their former lives.
Water Scarcity and Public Health Risks
Water remains an even greater concern. In several areas, water lines shattered during the impact have not been replaced, leaving residents to depend on bottled water purchased at inflated prices or on water gathered from rivers for cooking, bathing, and in emergencies drinking. These conditions have already produced serious health consequences. The Jamaican Ministry of Health has confirmed multiple cases of leptospirosis, including several deaths, linked to floodwater contaminated with animal waste. In communities where sanitation systems remain compromised, the risk of cholera has risen sharply. Mold has now taken root inside many homes where roofs were replaced, but interiors never fully dried. Families report constant dampness, spreading fungal growth, and respiratory symptoms that make even repaired homes unhealthy to live in.
Children Among Most Severely Impacted
The storm displaced tens of thousands of people. Many families who lost their homes entirely are still living in shelters, including school buildings that were converted into emergency accommodations and have remained so months later. The impact on children has been significant. In the hardest-hit parishes, schools did not reopen for nearly three months, and when they finally resumed in January, many operated only two days per week because facilities were damaged, overcrowded, or still serving as shelters. Uniforms were often abandoned, not out of disregard for tradition but because families had no electricity to iron them and, in some cases, no clothing left at all. Educators and social workers report a steep rise in trauma-related symptoms among children, including fear of rain, difficulty sleeping, and a marked decline in concentration and emotional stability. The pressure on families has been immense. Some mothers, overwhelmed by the loss of their homes, livelihoods, and support networks, have made the agonizing decision to abandon newborns. Others remain with their children but speak openly about their uncertainty regarding how they will manage in the months and years ahead.
The Salvation Army's Continued Presence
Amid this devastation, The Salvation Army has remained one of the most consistent sources of relief and stability. While many international agencies have already withdrawn from Jamaica due to logistical constraints or shifting global emergencies, Salvation Army teams continue to serve communities across the island, drawing on the organization's twenty-nine service centers that were already embedded in remote and hard-to-reach areas before the storm. Their response began immediately after Melissa made landfall and has continued steadily through the end of the year. As of December 31, 2025, The Salvation Army had reached more than 225,000 people with emergency assistance, including 125,000 meal kits, 70,000 hot meals, 8,600 food parcels, 22,000 bottles of drinking water, and 25,000 hygiene kits. These supplies have helped stabilize households whose farms, shops, and livelihoods were erased.
Support Across Western Jamaica
Communities in western Jamaica, including Cave Mountain, Black River, St. Elizabeth, Westmoreland, St. James, and Hanover, received multiple rounds of support. In partnership with World Central Kitchen and Mercy Chefs, The Salvation Army delivered cooked meals, dry goods, hygiene items, and essential household supplies throughout the most difficult weeks – shipped to Jamaica by UPS thanks to our generous partnership. In Cave Mountain, where the community's water system had collapsed entirely, a new water tank installed beside the local Salvation Army corps now provides safe, free drinking water to any resident who needs it. That tank has become a rare point of reliability in a region still marked by uncertainty.
Restoring Connectivity and Community Life
To restore connectivity, The Salvation Army, through its partner Red Lightening, helped deploy Starlink units to 19 communities, complete with solar panels, generators, and batteries. These communication hubs became lifelines in areas where every other line had gone dark. Each night, families gathered to charge devices, send messages, check on relatives abroad, and access vital information. Often, food distributions took place at the same time, turning the corps grounds into a nightly center of both physical and digital connection.
Emotional and Spiritual Care
Yet the organization's impact extends beyond material aid. Emotional and Spiritual Care teams were deployed immediately to support survivors grappling with fear, loss, displacement, and exhaustion. In Savanna La Mar, where the local Salvation Army church was one of the few buildings left standing, residents found a place to sit, breathe, talk, or pray. Social worker Shion, who returned to her shattered community just days after the storm, described how people came not only for clothing and meals but also for comfort. Worship services resumed long before power was fully restored, drawing both longtime members and unfamiliar faces seeking reassurance. Over the weeks, congregations grew steadily, mirroring the desire for connection and hope in a time of profound disruption.
Renewed Faith and the First Steps Toward Recovery
For many, the spiritual rebuilding has been as important as the physical one. Survivors spoke openly about their experiences, linking the facts of those terrifying hours to a faith that could hold their stories without diminishing their pain. A verse often repeated across the affected communities since the storm - "No weapon formed against you shall prosper" (Isaiah 54:17) - has become a grounding reminder. Many residents have applied the words directly to their own survival. In communities still surrounded by debris, where schools remain damaged and livelihoods uncertain, these words have offered a steadying reminder that survival itself is a beginning.