This isn’t what I had planned for the blog today. I had Christmas holiday content drafted and scheduled for all of November and then Hurricane Melissa devastated Jamaica on Tuesday and so here we are.
I feel a mix of relief, dread, guilt and deep discomfort. For my household we had little water damage and a small leak. By now you would have seen the images of flooding, lost roofs, deaths and injuries and whole communities cut off. I won’t be linking to any of them.
So what do we do now?
We recover, rebuilt slowly. I won’t get into a climate departure and its effects in this post. I want to talk about community. Your personal network of loved ones, friends, colleagues, neighbours and acquaintances.
For those in the diaspora and those in Kingston and St Andrew that can afford to please consider donating and here is the GOJ official site for Hurricane Melissa relief donations.
The Importance of Community After a Natural Disaster
Here is the thing I want to say first: you don’t have to drive to the south coast to be a part of the relief effort. Unless you have some specialised skills and a lot of resources you may just end up taking up space and being a hindrance than help.
So what you can do, help those in your actual community. Be a friend or a neighbour. Check in on those in your immediate circle, some people may have used up the last of their resources to prep for the storm, offer a meal, offer some non-perishable items, give a case or two of drinking water. Something even as simple as asking the persons closest to you how they are doing.
The road to recovery feels distance and I know I feel a little lost and scared so imagine what those people who are without water, without electricity might be feeling. Reach out and seek to listen, empathize and comfort someone today.
And not to be alarmist but also consider that food insecurity and shortages will be a reality for most of us this holiday season.
Mental Well-Being Right Now
The primary mood or feeling I had in the several days leading up to the storm was anxiety but I have anxiety medication so I still slept. Then the days immediately following the storm, I felt fear, dread and stress. Today as I write this, and I am writing it on Sunday 2 November. I am simply free writing my thoughts to document what I am feeling and experiencing and I will be posting this immediately. Right now I feel calmer.
Right now I want to take care or help those closest to me in whatever capacity I can. Right now I need to do my weekend reset so my home and family are in order for the work week.
But I want to say feel your feelings, the worry, the stress, the anxiety and the guilt and the relief, the gratitude or even fear. Simply let yourself feel your feelings, name them and then release them. Talk to someone close to you, someone you trust and get those feelings into words and then name them and I promise you, you will feel a shift.
What’s Next on MJV?
I honestly don’t know. I have to reconsider all my posts for the rest of the year, because my Christmas planning, holiday meal ideas and Christmas shopping guide all feel hollow and out of touch for where we are now in November 2025.
I do want to say, hold unto and cherish those small moments of joy and warmth and laughter that you may find in these uncertain times.
We will chat again soon.
It is difficult being outside of Jamaica during this period. You want to keep updated on the impact and recovery process, but the news can be so overwhelming.
Hey Marsha-Gay, yes the news cycle is rough. And it is hard to strike that balance in being informed and updated and being distressed and overwhelmed by what is being shared. I don’t have any useful tips on finding that balance because I’m also struggling with this too.
Thanks for this. I’m going to be feeling the feelings. This has been a rough hit to my mental health but I’m doing better because I’ve had a mix of expressing my feelings, donating where I can, how I can and also distracting myself momentarily with little pockets of things that bring me joy. It’s a heavy time and it will be a process. I’m sure we will get back to feeling semi ok soon.
Kimberly, thanks for commenting. And yes it’s a process and I will get back to feeling better one day. Definitely feel those feelings. Thanks for reading and your continued support.
[…] thing that is most prominent in my mind as I write this post is the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa. I feel heartbroken for my fellow Jamaicans and I am worried about our national economy and growth […]