2 weeks after Hurricane Melissa, Jamaica is working hard to recover

Jamaica deep into recovery 2 weeks post-Hurricane Melissa

Jamaica is in the thick of recovery two weeks following Hurricane Melissa's destruction to the island. FOX Weather Correspondent Robert Ray captured some of the scenes from Black River as supplies were delivered and debris remained. 

The damage Hurricane Melissa left behind in Jamaica two weeks ago still grips the nation, as they remain in the thick of disaster relief and recovery.

On Tuesday, Jamaican officials confirmed the death toll rose to 45 from the hurricane.

Jamaican Officer of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) Director General Alvin Gayle said on Wednesday that 15 people were still missing. 

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This screen grab from an aerial video shows damaged buildings and structures in St. Elizabeth Parish, Jamaica, on October 29, 2025, after Hurricane Melissa tore through the island. Hurricane Melissa ripped up trees and knocked out power after making landfall in Jamaica on October 28, 2025 as one of the most powerful hurricanes on record, inundating the island nation with rains that threaten flash floods and landslides. (Photo by AFP VIDEOGRAPHICS / AFP) (Photo by AFP VIDEOGRAPHICS/AFP via Getty Images)

(Getty Images)

In total, Gayle reported more than 130 buildings in Jamaica were destroyed by Hurricane Melissa. 

He said roughly 30,000 households, primarily in Western Jamaica, were displaced. 

FOX Weather Correspondent Robert Ray was on the ground when the storm made landfall on Oct. 28 as a Category 5 hurricane with 185 mph winds.

He stayed through the storm and in the initial days after the storm, he reported on the destruction, trudging through fields of debris to tell stories of Jamaicans who lost everything they had. 

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FOX Weather's Robert Ray on Hurricane Melissa: 'I have never seen a disaster like this in my life'

FOX Weather Field Correspondent Robert Ray is in Saint Elizabeth, Jamaica, two days after the Deadly Category 5 Hurricane Melissa wreaked a wide-spread destructive path across the southwestern part of the Caribbean island. 

"You look at this situation, and it is as far as the eye can see," Ray said on Nov.1, as he looked down a debris-filled street in Black River. "I don't think I've ever seen anything like this." 

Ray detailed how much help was needed, from food, water and supplies for those impacted. 

Aid and supplies arriving in Black River, Jamaica on Tuesday, Nov. 11. It's been two weeks since Hurricane Melissa made landfall.

(Robert Ray / FOX Weather)

Two weeks later, aid is arriving, and there is progress being made with recovery. 

Robert Ray showed scenes from Black River on Tuesday as crews carried supplies to those in need and helped remove debris. 

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Recovery and aid efforts are underway in Jamaica

FOX Weather Correspondent Robert Ray continues his coverage of the recovery efforts in Jamaica, following the historic Category 5 Hurricane Melissa’s destructive path through most of the country. Exclusive footage shows the latest on the aid efforts for those affected.

He reported on the progress made in Black River from just a week prior when he was last there. 

Makeshift emergency hospitals are set up in the city, operated by Samaritan's Purse, providing medical aid to Jamaicans who need it, ranging from cuts and infections to surgeries and prescription refills. 

The emergency hospital set up by Samaritan's Purse surrounded by the debris in Black River on Nov. 11, 2025.

(Robert Ray / FOX Weather)

Since being in Black River, Samaritan's Purse said it has helped about 420 patients so far. 

"We have done a dozen surgeries," said Cheryl Kaufman, lead nurse for Samaritan's Purse. "We have been seeing a lot of wound infections, people that have stepped on nails that then is infected." 

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The aid doesn't stop there. Medic Corps is also on the ground. 

Ray spoke to Nathan Bates, operation director for Medic Corps. 

"This is a very bad disaster. It's a very large area," Bates said. "The condition of the people in Southern and Western Jamaica right now is as bad as it gets."

Bates called the situation a "humanitarian crisis," saying there is still a very big lack of food and water there. 

Assistance from all over the world is arriving in Jamaica. 

Members of the El Salvador military work to hand out food and water to Jamaicans affected by Hurricane Melissa on Nov. 10, 2025. 

(Private Ricardo Greaves, Headquarters Jamaica Defence Force / FOX Weather)

Photos from the Jamaica Defence Force show help arriving from countries like El Salvador and the United States. 

The Jamaica Information Service also highlighted assistance from the European Union and Belgium since the storm. 

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Jamaica Defence Force agents working with the United States Army on the ground in Jamaica to provide supplies two weeks after Hurricane Melissa. 

(Private Troy Campbell, Headquarters Jamaica Defence Force / FOX Weather)

While the road to recovery for Jamaica will be long and painful for many, progress is being made. 

The Jamaica Public Service Company reported on Wednesday that power was restored to 300,000 customers in Jamaica, representing roughly 64% of the service provided to the country. 

The Jamaica Defence Force and members of the El Salvador military work to remove a fallen power pole from a road in Jamaica on Monday, Nov. 10, 2025, after Hurricane Melissa. 

(Private Ricardo Greaves, Headquarters Jamaica Defence Force / FOX Weather)

Eighty-eight shelters remain open across nine Jamaican parishes, Gayle said. He said roughly 1,100 people were occupying shelters. 

Disaster relief supplies coordinated by the Jamaican government, Jamaican private sector, local authorities and international partners have already issued 500,000 meals and 80,000 care packages, Gayle said. 

The work is far from over yet, but Gayle said the ODPEM would continue to coordinate the relief efforts and supply drops to ensure that aid is efficiently distributed.