US warns Americans to reconsider travel to Jamaica amid Hurricane Melissa

The United States has raised its travel advisory for Jamaica from Level 2 to Level 3, citing a natural disaster risk arising from Hurricane Melissa.

The updated advisory was issued on Tuesday, October 28, the same day the Category 5 storm hit Jamaica, causing widespread damage across the country.

Arising from conditions, the US State Department has told Americans to reconsider travel to Jamaica at this time.

“Some areas have increased risk,” the advisory stated.

The Department of State noted that on October 28 it authorised non-emergency personnel and family members of US government employees to leave Jamaica due to Hurricane Melissa.

Since the passage of Hurricane Melissa, there has been a widespread outpouring of local and international assistance to Jamaica, including aid from Americans bringing relief supplies to the country.

Meanwhile, the State Department has maintained its ongoing travel cautions regarding crime and health concerns in Jamaica.

“While violent crime in Jamaica has decreased since 2024, it remains statistically high throughout the country. The homicide rate reported by the Government of Jamaica is among the highest in the Western Hemisphere,” the advisory noted.

On crime, it added that tourist areas generally experience lower rates of violent crime than other parts of the country, but armed robberies and sexual assaults remain common.

“The US Embassy routinely receives reports of sexual assaults, including from US citizen tourists at resorts. US citizens report slow or unsatisfactory responses to serious criminal incidents. When arrests are made, cases are infrequently prosecuted to a final verdict and sentence,” the department stated.

Regarding health care, the advisory noted that basic and specialised medical services may not be available in many parts of Jamaica.

“This includes slower emergency service response times and limited availability of care for illness or injury.”

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