Use quiet period of hurricane season to strengthen preparedness – BCMG

As Jamaica moves through what has so far been a relatively quiet 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, homeowners and businesses are being urged not to allow lower activity to create a false sense of security. The warning comes less than a year after Hurricane Melissa delivered a devastating reminder of how quickly risk can become reality.

Melissa made landfall near New Hope, Westmoreland, on October 28, 2025, as a Category 5 hurricane with sustained winds of 185 miles per hour. The storm caused its most severe damage across western and central parishes including Westmoreland, St Elizabeth, Hanover, St James, Trelawny and Manchester. Government assessments later placed preliminary physical damage at approximately US$8.8 billion.

For thousands of Jamaicans who experienced damaged homes, disrupted livelihoods and prolonged recovery, Melissa demonstrated that the impact of a hurricane is determined not by how active the wider season is, but by whether a severe storm reaches the island.