Lead Stories

News
December 9, 2025

‘Prioritise your mental health’

As Jamaica braces for the impact of Hurricane Melissa, the Ministry of Health and Wellness is reminding Jamaicans to take care not only of their physical safety, but also their mental and emotional…
Devon Osbourne battens down a section of his house in Compound, Alligator Pond, Manchester, as he prepared for the arrival of Hurricane Melissa.
December 9, 2025 by Sashana Small

Déjà vu

Haunted by the devastation left by Hurricane Beryl last year – which flattened homes and ripped off roofs – residents of Compound Alligator Pond in Manchester have spent the last few days securing…
File photo
December 9, 2025

‘We’ve never experienced this before’

Jamaicans are being urged to brace for the worst as Hurricane Melissa intensifies south of the island and is forecast to make landfall as a Category 4 system early this week. At a media briefing on…
One of the entrances to Munro College in Malvern, St Elizabeth.
December 9, 2025 by Albert Ferguson

Scarred by Beryl, strengthened by its lessons

WESTERN BUREAU: As Jamaica braces for Hurricane Melissa, Munro College – one of the nation’s oldest boarding institutions – says it is far better prepared this time, drawing on hard-earned lessons…
Flagaman Community Centre in St Elizabeth, which is expected to be used as a shelter for residents in preparation for Tropical Storm Melissa which is expected to hit Jamaica over the weekend.
December 9, 2025 by Albert Ferguson

‘We’re not ready’

WESTERN BUREAU: As dark clouds gather once again over Jamaica’s southern plains, a sense of dread hangs heavy over the farming community of Flagaman, in St Elizabeth, as many residents who barely…
Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness addresses a special Jamaica House press briefing, looking at preparations for Tropical Storm Melissa, in St Andrew yesterday.
December 9, 2025

Holness declares ‘zero tolerance’ for price gouging

With Jamaicans continuing to shop for emergency items in preparation for Tropical Storm Melissa, which forecasters expect to develop into a hurricane and could sit over Jamaica for several days, Prime…
NOAA’s 7 p.m. update on October 25 for Tropical Storm Melissa.
December 9, 2025

Melissa watchers eye landfall Tuesday

Tropical Storm Melissa is now expected to make landfall in Jamaica next Tuesday as a major hurricane, with the system expected to bring heavy rains and flooding across the island. Speaking with The…
Micah Williams, tomato farmer from Flagaman in St Elizabeth, shows items used to shield him at his home during Hurricane Beryl in 2024.
December 9, 2025 by Adrian Frater

Toxic encounters

Western Bureau: Memories of last year’s devastating blow by Hurricane Beryl are still fresh, especially the major infrastructural damage, the multimillion-dollar hit on the farming section, and…
A section of a yard in Parottee, St Elizabeth, belonging to residents who have been still struggling to rebuild after last year’s onslaught from Hurricane Beryl.
December 9, 2025 by Albert Ferguson

Storm-weary St Bess faces Melissa still reeling from Beryl

WESTERN BUREAU: More than a year after Hurricane Beryl ravaged Jamaica’s southern corridor, the residents of St Elizabeth remain locked in a prolonged struggle for recovery. Now, with Tropical Storm…