KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister, Dr. Andrew Wheatley, says the Jamaican government is focused on “building forward” following the passage of Hurricane Melissa that tore into the country on October 28, killing at least 45 people and causing billions of US dollars in damages.
Wheatley, who has responsibility for Science, Technology, and Special Projects, said the strategy is not just aimed at restoring damaged infrastructure but also at strengthening the country’s climate resilience.
“We must build forward colleagues. We cannot just think about recovery or rebuilding in the traditional sense. We must build forward, smarter, stronger, and fundamentally more resilient,” he told the Scientific Research Council’s (SRC) Conversation in Science 2025.
The World Bank estimates that Melissa caused approximately US$8.8 billion in physical damage to Jamaica, equivalent to 41 per cent of the country’s 2024 gross domestic product (GDP), making it the costliest storm in the country’s history.
Wheatley noted that the cost of damage from Melissa alone, which does not take into account economic losses such as revenue earnings, has eclipsed the cumulative damage from disasters between 2000 and 2021.
“During those 21 years, intense hydro-meteorological events such as hurricanes, storms, and droughts caused damage and losses exceeding US$870 million to our nation. Over those 21 years, the damage was under a billion US dollars,” Wheatley said.
“So, that one event (Melissa) eclipsed the 21 years … and right now, we are facing a situation, with just preliminary analysis; we’re not looking at the cost associated with workforce [and] working hours. We’re just looking at the infrastructure, road networks, buildings, and homes. We’re not looking at the contents of these buildings, homes, and we are at US$8.8 billion,” he added.
In addition, with a Category 5 storm coming 15 months after Hurricane Beryl, Wheatley said the region is facing the reality of stronger, faster, and more frequent storms, and that building the country’s resilience to withstand and recover from disasters is imperative.
“The people who are into data management and mapping and climate change will tell you that these events are coming more often than before,” he said, noting that “we [cannot] continue to do the same things that we always do and expect to get a different result if another hurricane should pass our way.”
“We must prepare ourselves now to brace for future events of this nature. The only way we can protect ourselves as a people, as a country, is to be smarter in our approach and build out in a more resilient manner.”
Wheatley said that the SRC, now in its 65th year of service, has a mandate to facilitate the development of Jamaica’s resources through scientific research, but, more importantly, to transfer that technology to all sectors of society and to serve as a bedrock for practical research.
He said this will significantly help with the rebuilding process and better guide the affected persons.
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