It’s been over two months since Hurricane Melissa came to Jamaica. We hadn’t ventured outside our local area until last week, driving through Black River for the first time after the storm. Seeing pictures and videos online may give you an idea of the devastation, but seeing it in person really helps you understand how bad it is.
The roof damage at the hospital and the high school is heartbreaking. Hurricane Melissa decimated a historical church and uprooted lush trees.
We drove through Holland Bamboo, an area known for its lush bamboo trees that create an arch along a stretch of the road. Melissa uprooted large patches of bamboo trees, and few vendors were present while we passed by the area that once had many.
While the devastation from Hurricane Melissa has caused a lot of damage, it hasn’t broken the island or its people’s resilience. We saw the damage, but we also saw people cleaning the wreckage and doing what they could to rebuild even stronger than before.
It’s easy to get so consumed by your own life that you forget about what’s happening on a macro level. Driving through Black River a few days ago reminded us to be grateful that the damage we experienced was superficial.
I can’t imagine worrying about leaks in my roof every time there’s rain in the forecast, nor can I imagine what it would be like to be in a storm and see your roof fly off.
I’m sure that years from now, there will be a study examining how Jamaicans maintained their resilience after two hurricanes in less than two years. 🩵