As of Tuesday morning, the Jamaican government has confirmed that 45 people have died as a result of Hurricane Melissa. The update came from Senator Dr Dana Morris Dixon, Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, who confirmed the updated number of casualties during a press briefing where she described the situation as “deeply painful” for affected families and communities.
Dr Morris Dixon explained that the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) and the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) jointly verified that all 45 deaths were linked to the hurricane. “The numbers have been confirmed by the JCF; they have investigated and concluded that these deaths were associated with the hurricane,” she said.
The majority of fatalities were concentrated in the southwestern parishes, where the storm’s strongest winds and heaviest rains hit. St Elizabeth recorded 18 deaths, while Westmoreland reported 15. The remaining 12 were recorded in St James (6), Hanover (2), Trelawny (2), St Ann (1), and Portland (1).
33 of the 45 victims have already undergone postmortems. She expressed sympathy for the affected families, saying, “Those are 45 families that are hurting deeply.” She added that she is keeping those families in her prayers as she asks God for comfort for those affected.
Following the passage of Hurricane Melissa, Jamaica has been receiving mass support locally and internationally to recover. According to Dr Morris Dixon, more than 170 donors have registered through the national relief portal, while 40 bilateral partners representing various countries have joined the recovery mission, 31 of which have already delivered assistance. Relief efforts remain ongoing, with teams still clearing blocked roads, restoring utilities, and assisting displaced families.
Meanwhile, the country continues its normal operation, with over 500 schools having now reopened across the island. Financial contributions continue to pour in through the Support Jamaica platform, which has so far collected US$1.08 million and an additional JMD $53.2 million via credit card donations.