Caribbean after Hurricane Melissa: safety, insurance and smart planning

The Caribbean after Hurricane Melissa faces a long, complex recovery. The storm formed on Oct 21, 2025, strengthened rapidly and made landfall in Jamaica on Oct 28 as a historic Category‑5 hurricane before becoming post‑tropical by Oct 31, 2025. Early official advisories and storm summaries charted an extremely powerful event that overwhelmed coastal and inland communities.

Immediate priorities are life‑safety, public health, and restoring basic services while planners and insurers begin to sort through damage estimates and claims. This article outlines safety steps, insurance realities and smart planning for households, property owners and travellers in the Caribbean after Hurricane Melissa.

Storm overview and infrastructure impacts

Hurricane Melissa struck the central Caribbean with exceptional force, producing widespread wind and water damage across several islands. National and regional assessments in early November 2025 put economic and physical damages in the billions of US dollars, with country estimates for Jamaica running into many billions depending on methodology and timing of the assessment.

Infrastructure was heavily affected: electricity and communications suffered major outages in the hardest‑hit areas, with reports of roughly 77% of customers without power immediately after Melissa and phased restoration operations underway. Port and airport operations were staggered, complicating the flow of relief and commercial traffic.

Initial insured‑loss modelling from the private market showed single‑digit‑billion ranges , Moody’s RMS estimated private‑market insured losses around US$3, 5 billion, while other trackers reported figures such as US$2.4 billion from KCC and varying estimates from Verisk and others. Final reconciliations of insured losses and economic totals will evolve as claims are filed and damage assessments are completed.

Human toll, displacement and shelters

The human cost of Melissa emerged in early post‑storm tallies: mid‑November reporting cited dozens of deaths and many missing across affected islands. For example, AP reported Jamaica’s death toll at 45 with 15 people missing, though regional totals for Jamaica, Haiti and Cuba varied as assessments continued.

Large‑scale displacement occurred. In Jamaica, roughly 30,000 households were reported displaced and about 1,100 people were in 88 emergency shelters in the early recovery phase. Shelter populations and displacement figures were evolving as relief agencies and governments conducted door‑to‑door assessments and began transitional housing planning.

Emergency responders remain focused on search and rescue, shelter management and restoring services, while humanitarian agencies coordinate food, water and medical deliveries. These immediate needs coexist with longer term housing and livelihood recovery for displaced families.

Health risks and immediate safety guidance

Public health authorities including PAHO/WHO and CDC flagged several post‑storm risks: waterborne illnesses from contaminated floodwaters, increased mosquito activity raising vector‑borne disease risks, food and water safety concerns, and rampant mold growth inside wet structures. PAHO reported deploying emergency medical teams and delivering more than 13 tonnes of essential medical supplies to affected islands.

Practical safety measures from CDC and PAHO include safe generator use to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning, protective equipment and proper procedures for mold cleanup, strict food and water handling practices, and special plans for people with chronic health conditions. Shelters and temporary housing must prioritize water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) to reduce outbreak risk.

Mental‑health and psychosocial supports are also critical: disaster survivors commonly face grief, anxiety and trauma in the weeks and months after a major hurricane. Local health services and international partners are scaling mental‑health resources and child‑focused services to support community recovery.

Insurance realities: claims, parametric payouts and timing

Households and governments experienced different financial pathways after Melissa. For governments, parametric instruments provided rapid liquidity: the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF SPC) paid Jamaica about US$70.8 million under its tropical‑cyclone parametric policy plus an excess‑rainfall payout near US$21.1 million, and the World Bank reported a full US$150 million payout from Jamaica’s 2024 catastrophe bond when triggers were met.

Private‑market insured‑loss estimates were modelled in the single‑digit billions. These market estimates (for example Moody’s RMS at roughly US$3, 5 billion) cover private insurance markets and do not equal total economic loss. Industry trackers reported varying early figures; reconciliation of claims, reinsurance and final insured losses may take weeks to months.

For homeowners and businesses, the key distinction is between wind damage and flood/storm‑surge damage. Standard homeowner policies often cover wind, while separate flood insurance (NFIP or private flood policies) is required for flood losses. If unsure, file both homeowner and flood claims and obtain written denials only if coverage is refused.

How to document damage and file claims

Document damage thoroughly before doing permanent cleanup, if it is safe to do so: photograph and video interiors and exteriors with timestamps, record serial numbers, and keep a detailed inventory of damaged items. FEMA and insurer guidance stress keeping receipts for emergency repairs and storing copies of property titles and inventories offsite or in cloud storage.

Notify your insurer immediately and ask about the claims process and any advance payments. NFIP and some private carriers may issue advance payments to policyholders after major events to meet urgent needs; NFIP guidance suggests contacting your flood agent or calling 877‑336‑2627 to start a flood claim. Preserve evidence until an adjuster inspects, and be mindful of policy deadlines for proof‑of‑loss filings.

Beware of post‑disaster scams and price‑gouging. Verify contractor credentials, obtain written estimates, do not sign away rights, and report suspected fraud to appropriate authorities. Keep thorough records of all communications with insurers and contractors.

Practical planning for homeowners and travellers

Homeowners and property owners should adopt a short checklist to improve recovery and future resilience: maintain digital/offsite copies of property titles and inventories; keep timestamped photos; secure receipts and serial numbers; and maintain flood insurance well before hurricane season because many policies carry about a 30‑day waiting period before coverage begins.

Travellers should follow official travel advisories: the U.S. State Department updated its advisory for Jamaica to Level 3 (“Reconsider Travel”) and authorised voluntary departures for some non‑essential staff. Expect limited flight schedules and phased airport reopenings; confirm flights, hotel availability and consular service status before travel and consider travel‑interruption insurance that explicitly covers named storms.

If you are a U.S. citizen needing help now, enroll in STEP (Smart Traveler Enrollment Program) and contact the U.S. embassy or consulate for assistance. Travellers should also register contingency plans for medical care and evacuation, and verify that suppliers offer waivers or flexible rebooking after Melissa.

Investing in resilience and long‑term recovery

Parametric payouts to governments demonstrate the power of rapid liquidity, but household recovery still depends on private insurance, aid programs and reconstruction finance. The World Bank and PAHO have emphasised investments in resilient infrastructure , for example, retrofitting health facilities to be climate‑resilient and enforcing stronger building standards to reduce future exposure.

Post‑disaster recovery offers an opportunity to “build back better”: donor and multilateral funds, cat bonds and risk‑pool payouts can help governments move toward resilient infrastructure and safer shelters, while homeowners can prioritize incremental retrofits such as elevated utilities, wind‑resistant roofing and mold‑resistant materials.

Community planning should also integrate social supports: mental‑health services, livelihood programs and community‑led risk reduction are essential for sustained recovery. Expect official post‑disaster needs assessments to guide investment priorities as data and damage tallies are reconciled.

Recovery after Hurricane Melissa will be measured in months and years. Early relief and rapid financial instruments have provided vital support, but durable recovery requires careful insurance management, transparent claims processes, and targeted resilience investments at both the household and national levels.

Stay informed through authoritative sources , NHC for storm archives, CCRIF and World Bank for financial payouts, PAHO/WHO for health assistance, CDC for practical safety guidance, and FEMA/FloodSmart or NFIP for insurance and recovery tips. If you are affected, document damage, contact your insurer and local authorities, and seek consular assistance if you need evacuation or emergency services.