Statement on Hurricane Melissa | Sitting of the House of Representatives
Statement on Hurricane Melissa
by
Dr. the Most Honourable Andrew Holness, ON, PC, MP,
Prime Minister of Jamaica
at the
Sitting of the House of Representatives
On
November 25, 2025
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Mr Speaker, last week, the World Bank released the results of its rapid damage assessment for Hurricane Melissa. The assessment places Jamaica’s physical damage at US$8.8 billion. This figure is preliminary as further technical evaluations continue through the PIOJ.
This estimate includes damage to private and public property, insured and uninsured, as well as critical infrastructure. However, it does not yet reflect the cost of relief; that’s all that we have been spending on humanitarian supplies and the cost of recovery activities that which we have spent on getting the electricity grid, the water grid, and telecommunications up, and it does not yet reflect economic losses that will follow the disruption in key sectors. For example, while it accounts for the physical damage of a hotel, it does not account for the loss of revenues from the temporary closure of the impact.
Mr Speaker, one of the most severe and under-reported impacts is the massive volume of debris generated by Hurricane Melissa. According to satellite-based analysis conducted by the United Nations Development Programme, the storm left over 4.8 million tons of debris across the island. This debris is blocking roads, hindering access to schools and hospitals, farms and markets, slowing relief distribution, and delaying the restoration of essential services. The UNDP estimates that the debris is equivalent to approximately 480,000 standard truckloads consisting of 2.1 million tons of building and construction debris, 1.3 million tons of vegetation waste, 1.4 million tons of personal property and mixed household debris. These are minimum estimates and will increase as ground assessment continues.
Compared to major hurricanes worldwide, Hurricane Melissa now ranks amongst the most extreme debris generating storms ever on record. And there are analyses that are already being done on this, Mr Speaker, which would compare, for example, the debris generated in Hurricane Katrina, the debris generated in Hurricane Irma and other hurricanes relative to Jamaica. And of course, there are suggestions regarding the type of building material used, where people chose to live, but there is also another factor, which we have not yet assessed, but needs to be assessed, the damage went through the Cockpit Country and therefore some of our prime forests were destroyed. The leaves of every tree in the path were stripped and the trees broken so the devastation of the primary forest has not yet been assessed. When the satellites are doing the imagery, what they’re picking up is a lot of that debris mass which account for why it is so large.
In the other areas, the storms did not affect primary forest as the way it has done. 51%, I’m told, of our primary forest has been affected. In other hurricanes in other countries, it has not affected their forests in the way that it has affected ours Cockpit Country. It’s an area that we will have to look at, but it’s not the primary subject of today’s statement.
Mr Speaker, we must act urgently and strategically to address this unprecedented challenge. It is important to note that at this time of the year, we traditionally launch our annual mitigation and cleanup exercise constituency based in preparation for the Christmas season. Today, I wish to inform this honourable House that the Government has approved budgetary allocations for the National Cleanup Programme, which will incorporate the annual constituency-based mitigation and cleanup programme. $10 million per constituency has been allocated under the National Constituency-Based Mitigation Programme. The allocation will be broken down as follows:
- $2 million for drain and waterway cleaning and vector control to reduce the spread of pests and disease
- $5 million for de bushing
- $3 million for debris and waste removal.
This investment is not only routine seasonal maintenance, but it will also neatly dovetail into a broader programme of cleaning and debris management. Additional funding will be provided to the 16 most affected constituencies across Westmoreland (three constituencies), Hanover, (two constituencies), St James, (five constituencies), Trelawny (two constituencies), and St Elizabeth (four constituencies). Beyond these parishes, other severely affected communities island wide will also be targeted. There is a constituency-based parish-based targeting, but then we will go more granular to specific communities in other parishes which have been affected. Mr Speaker, we believe that this is the most equitable and efficient way of using the resources. In other words, we are targeting the resources to the areas of greatest need.
Just to be clear, Mr Speaker, this is the programme, which is our National Cleanup Programme, which represents the additional funding that we are placing on the table. This programme will employ between 100 and 200 persons per constituency. In the 16 constituencies named in addition to areas in other constituencies affected, we will employ between 100 to 200 persons to assist with the cleanup.
The Social Development Commission will oversee the recruitment training and organization of work teams. Our aim is to ensure that all workers are properly documented, are supported to open a bank account where needed and receive basic training in the safe handling and disposal of debris and waste. This is part of a wider effort to formalize labour, strengthen social protection, and uphold decent work principles even during an emergency. The National Solid Waste Management Authority will coordinate operational planning and work schedules. They will be supported by the Jamaica Defence Force, the National Spatial Data Unit utilizing GIS mapping to tag and track debris, the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development, and the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce.
We are identifying additional temporary disposal sites and exploring recycling and the circular economy solutions which will include using woodchippers to process vegetative waste for mulch and compost, establishing structured scrap metal recovery and recovering reusable construction material, and partnering with private firms to pilot community level material sorting. These measures are essential to build long-term resilience in waste and debris management. We have also begun securing additional trucks, compactors, bulldozers, and heavy equipment including through pledged international support.
Mr Speaker, countries that have faced large scale disasters such as Japan after the 2011 earthquake, Indonesia after the 2018 earthquake, and the United States after Hurricane Katrina, implemented debris to income programmes where communities were paid to sort, recycle, dispose, and remove, and to convert debris into usable materials. These programmes created temporary jobs, accelerated cleanup, reduced landfill pressure, and strengthen local recycling industries, and Jamaica will follow similar best practices and models ensuring that our cleanup effort also supports livelihoods and stimulate local enterprise.
In addition to the allocations for MPs for constituencies, we’re also making an allocation of $150,000 per councillor in each constituency. I hope, Mr Speaker, that Hansard did not record my initial statement.
Mr Speaker, while the government is providing resources, equipment, and coordination, the national cleanup effort cannot succeed without the full participation of our citizens. Every Jamaican school, businesses, community groups, church groups, service clubs and private households must join in this campaign to clean up our space. A cleaner Jamaica is not only aesthetically pleasing, but also safer, healthier, more resilient, and more attractive for investment and tourism. The cleanup we begin today contributes directly to our economic recovery, our public health, and our national pride.
Given the scale of the debris, this will take time. Initial operations are projected for two to four fortnights after which we will conduct an assessment and expand interventions as required. So technically we could go under the special National Cleanup Programme for a month to two months just to do cleanup. After that, then we will reassess.
Members of Parliament and councillors in targeted areas will receive detailed instructions and guidelines. Letters confirming the allocations will be sent out by the latest Friday of this week. You will probably get them late tomorrow into early Thursday. And for the constituencies that are specifically targeted, those 16 in addition to areas in other constituencies, you will also get your letters explaining how you will participate in the programme, how you will be able to recommend persons to work, the assignment of the SDC officers, all those details that will ensure that you are effective in the mobilization towards our national cleanup.
Thank you, Mr Speaker and thank you Members for your attention.