News

Officials of the Jamaica Public Service, Digicel, Flow, National Water Commission, and National Works Agency at a joint news conference on Hurricane Melissa on October 26, 2025.
December 9, 2025

Vaz warns of zero tolerance for utility vandalism ahead of Hurricane Melissa

Transport and Telecommunications Minister has warned that the government will pursue a zero-tolerance approach against vandalism targeting utilities, which could hinder emergency response and recovery…
Principal Director of the Meteorological Service of Jamaica, Evan Thompson.
December 9, 2025

Jamaica could receive over 30 inches of rain from Hurricane Melissa - Thompson

Hurricane Melissa could dump more than 30 inches of rain on the island, roughly the height of an average car door, Principal Director of the Meteorological Service of Jamaica, Evan Thompson said,…
Margaret Parkes, 62, was the sole person seated inside a Jamaica Urban Transit Company bus that had been parked in the Port Royal fishing community in Kingston for nearly two hours on October 26, 2025.
December 9, 2025

Few leaving flood-prone Port Royal, other areas as Hurricane Melissa Looms

Residents in the flood-prone coastal town of Port Royal, in Kingston, and other communities have once again ignored authorities’ attempts to relocate them ahead of Hurricane Melissa. The hurricane is…
An undated aerial view of a section of Portmore, St Catherine.
December 9, 2025

Portmore on the frontline - Storm surge from Hurricane Melissa threatens major residential hub

Jamaica’s senior meteorologist Evan Thompson says Portmore, the largest residential community in the English-speaking Caribbean, is among southern coastal areas likely to be impacted by storm surge as…
The Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston.
December 9, 2025

UPDATE | Jamaica's international airports closed as Hurricane Melissa lashes eastern Jamaica

Jamaica’s two international airports are officially closed as Category Four Hurricane Melissa begins to impact the island, Transport Minister Daryl Vaz says. Speaking at a press briefing Sunday…
A section of the Accident and Emergency Department at the Spanish Town Hospital in St Catherine on October 26, 2025.
December 9, 2025

Last-minute preparations for Hurricane Melissa under way in Spanish Town

A patient at Spanish Town General Hospital left her bed Sunday to make room for emergency cases as Hurricane Melissa approaches Jamaica. It highlighted the growing preparations and strain on…
The shipment, which is expected to arrive by Thursday, includes solar lamps, hygiene kits, bedding, air mattresses, indoor tents, shelter repair kits, ropes, tarpaulins, and generators.
December 9, 2025

International Organization for Migration prepares aid for Jamaica as Hurricane Melissa approaches

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is sending a shipment of relief items from its Caribbean Logistics Hub in Barbados to Jamaica as Hurricane Melissa approaches. It said the items…
The NWC said a few systems are being affected by internal electromechanical issues and external power supply outages, which teams are working to address.
December 9, 2025

NWC: Most major systems still operating but turbidity and outages pose challenges

The National Water Commission (NWC) says most of its major water supply systems remain operational as Hurricane Melissa continues to affect weather conditions across Jamaica. The agency said on Sunday…
A beach in Rocky Point, on Jamaica’s south coast in Clarendon, on October 26, 2025.
December 9, 2025

UPDATE | Hurricane Melissa strengthens as Jamaica braces for landfall

Hurricane Melissa has again strengthened, with maximum sustained winds now at 145 miles per hour (230 km/h), up from 140 mph earlier Sunday, as Jamaica braces for a potentially catastrophic landfall…