Jamaica Urged to Bolster Hurricane Preparedness Amid Quiet Season

As Jamaica experiences a relatively quiet start to the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, homeowners and businesses are strongly advised against letting the calm lull them into a false sense of security. This warning comes less than a year after Hurricane Melissa struck.

Hurricane Melissa made landfall in October 2025 as a Category 5 storm, causing widespread devastation across western and central parishes. Government assessments placed preliminary physical damage at approximately US$8.8 billion. For thousands affected, Melissa served as a stark reminder that a hurricane's impact depends on whether a severe storm hits the island, not just the overall season's activity.

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Use this quiet period to assess your risk, get adequate insurance coverage and fix what needs fixing on your premises.

This lesson remains critically relevant in 2026. While the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) projects a potentially below-normal season with fewer named storms and hurricanes, they emphasize that seasonal outlooks cannot predict specific landfall locations. This uncertainty underscores the need for continuous preparedness.

Pauline Campbell, claims manager at BCMG Insurance Brokers, suggests leveraging the current quiet period to strengthen preparedness. She advises assessing risks, ensuring adequate insurance coverage, and addressing any necessary property repairs. A significant vulnerability BCMG observes is underinsurance, where properties are insured for less than their actual rebuilding costs. Campbell stresses that this shortfall can severely impact recovery efforts following a major loss, potentially leaving property owners responsible for a substantial portion of repair expenses.

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If your property is only insured for 60 per cent of its value, the insurance company may only cover 60 per cent of the claim. You would then have to find the remaining 40 per cent yourself.