“We Will Rise:”Jamaica’s Path to Rebuilding Begins

“The worst has passed and now we unite and rebuild Jamaica.”

Powerful words from Jamaica Tourist Board Canada’s Angella Bennett shared on her social media as she gave an update on the island after it was left with catastrophic devastation when Hurricane Melissa hit Tuesday (October 28).

“We call on friends, all our partners, all our trade partners, our friends of Jamaica, let’s do this together.”

Bennett says Jamaica is still in the assessment stage of the full extent of the damage. But it is devastating and includes a hospital, Sangster International Airport as well as catastrophic damage in Black River, part of St. Elizabeth Parish where trees and flooding have made roads impassable, decimated homes and hundreds of thousands are still without power.

“We have concluded our tour of the damage caused by Hurricane Melissa in St. Elizabeth. The devastation is truly heartbreaking, yet the spirit of the people remains unbroken,” Prime Minister Andrew Holness said in a Facebook post October 29.

“The strength, resilience and determination of the people of St. Elizabeth are already shining through as they focus on recovery. This Government stands with the people of St. Elizabeth as we rebuild stronger than before.”

The Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, St James, is expected to reopen October 30 at 10:00am to accommodate relief flights. Jamaica’s two other airports, Norman Manley International Airport (NMIA) in Kingston and Ian Fleming International Airport (OCJ) in Ocho Rios reopened at 4:00 pm on October 29 for relief efforts. Transport Minister Daryl Vaz said the airport authority teams have been working around the clock to restore operations. He expected all airports to reopen for commercial flights no later than the morning of October 31st.

In a statement released by the Jamaica Ministry of Tourism the Hon. Edmund Bartlett said he has set a firm target for the tourism industry to be “fully back in operation” by Dec. 15, 2025. He has also announced the creation of two key bodies — the Hurricane Melissa Recovery Task Force and the Donation Coordination Task Force — to lead the tourism sector’s organized response and recovery efforts.

In the meantime, the government of Jamaica has created what Bennett emphasizes is the only legitimate source of support and information – www.supportjamaica.gov.jm and encourages donations to be made there. On Thursday, (October 30), Jamaica Cyber Incident Response Team issued an urgent warning about fraudulent websites.

“I will be working with the TEOC team on specific relief that supports the tourism workers and will keep you abreast as we organize ourselves as a community for those efforts,” Bennett said in a video.

“Jamaica’s people are the heart and soul of our nation, with their unmatched warmth, unwavering resilience, and indomitable spirit. In the face of a storm as devastating as Hurricane Melissa, we continue to rise, weathering challenges with unity and strength,” Bennett told Travel Market Report Canada.

“As we begin the work of recovery, we are focused on restoring power and critical infrastructure, reopening airports, and bringing needed supplies to Jamaica. We at the Jamaica Tourist Board remain committed to supporting our communities in every way possible.”