Jamaica installs container homes for Hurricane Melissa survivors in Westmoreland

Nine months after Category 5 Hurricane Melissa struck Westmoreland Parish, killing 45 people and causing roughly US$12.2 billion in damage, the Jamaican government began installing pre‑built container homes for displaced families. Minister Robert Montague announced that more than 2,000 units will be deployed to sites such as the Shrewsbury‑Petersfield cluster, following meetings with local MPs. The opposition People’s National Party criticised the pace of distribution and urged a relaxation of land‑ownership verification procedures.

Mayor Danree Delancy of Savanna‑la‑Mar reported that about 60 people remain in eight shelters across central and eastern Westmoreland. He highlighted delays in municipal involvement with contracts for container‑home sites, concerns about sewage disposal, and the proximity of the housing to the Roaring River, which supplies water to much of the parish.