Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness has told parliament that Hurricane Melissa caused damage equivalent to roughly 28% to 32% of the country's gross domestic product. The conservative estimate, based on assessed damages so far, ranges from $6bn to $7bn, with short-term economic output potentially declining by 8% to 13%.
Holness warned that the costs would increase Jamaica's debt-to-GDP ratio and that the government would activate emergency provisions to temporarily suspend fiscal rules. He is seeking financial support from regional allies, development agencies, and the private sector. The prime minister described Melissa as a storm powered by record sea temperatures, calling it 'a warning' as well as a tragedy.
The hurricane slammed into Jamaica's agricultural heartlands and key tourism corridor, with lawmakers warning of food price rises and thousands of tourism workers losing their jobs. Holness pledged to rebuild infrastructure to withstand future storms, including moving parts of the electric grid underground, and waived import taxes for relief products such as solar panels and Starlink kits.
The confirmed death toll across the Caribbean has reached 75, with 43 in Haiti and 32 in Jamaica. Haiti was not directly hit but suffered days of rain that flooded rivers, causing 25 deaths in one town, including 10 children. Nearly 12,000 homes were flooded, and communities lost access to drinking water. Both countries expect the number of fatalities to rise.
Holness said more than 30 Jamaican communities likely remain cut off due to damaged roads and bridges, with response efforts hampered by shortages of helicopters, social workers, doctors, and engineers. In Cuba, authorities evacuated hundreds of thousands as Melissa landed near Santiago, reporting no deaths but extensive damage to homes, crops, and infrastructure. US forecaster AccuWeather estimated total damages across the Caribbean at $48bn to $52bn.
