Belize Electricity Limited’s (BEL) team of specialized line workers remains on the ground in Jamaica as the country continues large-scale recovery efforts following the catastrophic impact of Hurricane Melissa. The crew, led by Line Supervisor Tyrone Reynolds and including Power Line Technicians Kareem Lopez, Perr Tillett, Ethan Alvarado, Bladimir Alvarez, Adolfo Oliva, and Kendale August, traveled to Jamaica on November 12th to support the Jamaica Public Service Company Limited (JPS) in restoring the island’s severely damaged electricity grid. Their deployment is part of a wider regional response coordinated by the Caribbean Electric Utility Services Corporation (CARILEC).
Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 storm with winds exceeding 180 mph, made landfall on October 28th and caused widespread destruction across Jamaica’s central and western parishes. According to the latest updates, more than 90,000 households have been displaced, over 191,000 buildings have been damaged, and 17 people remain missing. Utilities remain under strain, with approximately 165,000 customers still without electricity. Restoration is now underway in all 14 parishes, but is progressing slowly in rural and inland communities.
The situation extends beyond power outages. The National Water Commission reports that 19% of customers, about 102,000 people, remain without a water supply, with restoration much slower in western areas, where only 57.3% of service has been restored to date. In contrast, the eastern division shows 91.4% restoration. Critical areas, such as Cornwall Court and parts of St. Ann Parish, continue to have limited access to clean water.
Telecommunications have improved but remain uneven. DIGICEL reports restoration levels of 76% for mobile, 90% for fixed, and 75% for business networks, while crews continue work in heavily impacted western parishes. Logistics teams from the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) conducted more than 63 supply drops by November 24th, targeting isolated communities in Westmoreland, St. Elizabeth, and Manchester.
As Jamaicans face ongoing needs in shelter, food security, and medical care, regional partners have strengthened on-the-ground support. The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), together with the United Kingdom and Barbados, deployed a fully equipped field medical hospital to Savanna La Mar, Westmoreland. The Barbados Emergency Medical Team, including 60 medical personnel, is completing final installation steps, with the facility expected to be fully operational by November 28th. This field hospital will provide critical clinical capacity to address surge health needs across affected parishes.
Emergency shelter operations remain ongoing, with 116 shelters housing 1,445 displaced individuals, particularly in St. Elizabeth, Manchester, Hanover, and Trelawny. Preliminary assessments show that 45% of assessed homes sustained severe damage, and long-term recovery efforts may include community-driven rebuilding, prefabricated housing units, and relocation for households in high-risk areas.
International support continues to arrive, with donations and pledges from countries including Canada, the United States, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, the European Union, Japan, Trinidad & Tobago, and others. Contributions range from generators, tarpaulins, medical supplies, and food packages to financial aid totaling more than US$37 million in combined emergency support from the United States alone.
BEL’s participation forms part of this wider Caribbean collaboration. CEO John Mencias reaffirmed the company’s commitment, stating, “We stand in solidarity with our Jamaican brothers and sisters by joining our thoughts and prayers with our actions.” JPS President and CEO Hugh Grant emphasized the scale of destruction, noting, “The backbone of the electricity grid had suffered tremendous damage. Several high-voltage transmission facilities, including towers made of steel, were completely destroyed… it will take a while to rebuild and restore power to all our customers.”
With complete restoration of power and essential services projected to take several more weeks, the presence of BEL’s line workers and other regional support teams remains vital. As recovery operations continue, CARILEC, CDEMA, and international partners are expected to maintain assistance to ensure affected communities regain access to electricity, clean water, communications, and critical services as quickly as possible.
