From the Conversation: No time to recover: Hurricane Melissa and the Caribbean’s compounding disaster trap as the storms keep coming

“Headlines have been filled with talk of the catastrophic power of Hurricane Melissa after the Category 5 storm devastated communities across Jamaica, Cuba and Haiti in October 2025. But to see this as a singular disaster misses the bigger picture: Melissa didn’t hit stable, resilient islands. It hit islands still rebuilding from the last hurricane.

Jamaica was still recovering from Hurricane Beryl, which sideswiped the island in July 2024 as a Category 4 storm. The parish of St. Elizabeth – known as Jamaica’s breadbasket – was devastated. The country’s Rural Agriculture Development Authority estimated that 45,000 farmers were affected by Beryl, with damage estimated at US$15.9 million.“

Thanks to Chris Jones for the citation.

Although not on the topic of recovery, here is an important opportunity.

From the National Academies of Science: Forum on Medical and Public Health Preparedness for Disasters and Emergencies

https://mailchi.mp/nationalacademies/call-for-experts-forum-on-medical-and-public-health-preparedness-for-disasters-and-emergencies?e=bf85197e14

“The National Academies is seeking suggestions for experts to be considered to fill 5 to 7 open seats on the Forum on Medical and Public Health Preparedness for Disasters and Emergencies. The forum fosters in-depth discussion and collaboration to examine barriers, identify research, explore innovative operational and policy solutions, and inspire action among diverse stakeholders in support of sustaining and advancing national health readiness and security. Additionally, staff are identifying potential speakers, participants, and other contributors for upcoming forum activities.”

From AP news: States sue Trump administration over restrictions put on FEMA emergency grants

“Eleven states and Kentucky’s governor are suing the Trump administration over what they call “unlawful terms” placed on federal funding critical to supporting local disaster and terrorism preparedness.

The predominantly Democratic-led states, which include Michigan, Oregon and Arizona, along with Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear sued the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency on Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Eugene, Oregon.

The states oppose a dramatic cut to the amount of time they are given to spend emergency management and homeland security grants, as well as an unprecedented requirement that they submit population counts omitting people removed under immigration law in order to receive emergency management funds. They argue the measures “erect inappropriate barriers” to money for public safety and emergency response.”

Link to a film From the National Internet and TV Association: After the Storm:Reconnecting Communities

Film takes viewers behind-the-scenes as networks are rebuilt.

Watch how cable workers mobilize after disaster—navigating dangerous conditions, repairing damaged lines, and working side by side with utility crews to bring communities back online.

From The Conversation: 4 urgent lessons for Jamaica from Puerto Rico’s troubled hurricane recovery – and how the Jamaican diaspora could help after Melissa.

https://theconversation.com/4-urgent-lessons-for-jamaica-from-puerto-ricos-troubled-hurricane-recovery-and-how-the-jamaican-diaspora-could-help-after-melissa-268631

“Across Jamaica, streets are littered with torn-off roofs, splintered wood and other debris left in the wake of Hurricane Melissa. Downed power lines have left communities in the dark, and many flooded and wind-damaged homes are unlivable.

Recovering from the devastation of one of the Atlantic’s most powerful storms, which struck on Oct. 28, 2025, will take months and likely years in some areas. That work is made much harder by the isolation of being an island.

As a researcher who has extensively studied disaster recovery in Puerto Rico after Hurricane María in 2017, I know that the decisions Jamaica makes in the days and weeks following the disaster will shape its recovery for years to come. Puerto Rico’s mistakes following Maria hold some important lessons.”

From the BBC: Hurricane Melissa death toll rises as aid struggles to reach parts of Jamaica

“At least 19 people have died in Jamaica as a result of Hurricane Melissa, Information Minister Dana Morris Dixon has said, as search and rescue efforts continue and authorities try to get aid to hard-hit areas.

The hurricane, one of the most powerful to strike the Caribbean, has also killed at least 30 people in Haiti, officials said.

In Jamaica, “there are entire communities that seem to be marooned and areas that seem to be flattened”, Dixon said, adding there are “devastating” scenes in western regions.

Electricity remains out to most of the island and as people try to salvage damaged homes and belongings from flood water and mud, many thousands are growing increasingly desperate for aid. “

From the Wash Post: Hurricane Melissa, now stronger than Katrina, is closing in on Jamaica.

Melissa’s 175 mph winds rival the most intense Atlantic storms on record. The Category 5 hurricane is threatening Jamaica with a storm surge of up to 13 feet.

New from the Pew Foundation: What Waning Federal Disaster Aid Would Mean for State Budgets. Shifts in response and recovery responsibilities could pose fiscal challenges

“States play a critical and often overlooked role in paying for disaster costs, assisting communities and individuals and helping to cover cost shares required by federal relief programs. To cover these myriad costs, states draw from a range of funding sources, including dedicated disaster or emergency accounts, rainy day savings, and general fund revenue.

However, tapping these resources for an emergency can also mean directing funds away from other priorities, and policymakers increasingly face overlapping challenges related to paying for disasters. Not only are extreme weather events growing more frequent and expensive, but federal policymakers also are exploring ways to reduce the federal role in disasters and state budgets are tightening as pandemic-era surpluses disappear. Together, these shifts are prompting states to reconsider how they fund their efforts before, during, and after a disaster, collectively called “disaster assistance.”

From the AP: State emergency officials say new rules and delays for FEMA grants put disaster response at risk.

“State officials on the front lines of preparing for natural disasters and responding to emergencies say severe cuts to federal security grants, restrictions on money intended for readiness and funding delays tied to litigation are posing a growing risk to their ability to respond to crises.

It’s all causing confusion, frustration and concern. The federal government shutdown isn’t helping.

“Every day we remain in this grant purgatory reduces the time available to responsibly and effectively spend these critical funds,” said Kiele Amundson, communications director at the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency.”

The uncertainty has led some emergency management agencies to hold off on filling vacant positions and make rushed decisions on important training and purchases.

Experts say the developments complicate state-led emergency efforts, undermining the Republican administration’s stated goals of shifting more responsibility to states and local governments for disaster response.”