Overview
- Prime Minister Andrew Holness put the death toll at 28, with additional reports under verification.
- Western parishes such as Westmoreland and Saint Elizabeth reported towns demolished and communities cut off, with more than half a million customers lacking power and communications.
- The UN released $4 million from its emergency fund and health partners stood up medical teams, as the United States reported response teams on the ground.
- Relief logistics are concentrating through Kingston’s Norman Manley International Airport, while Montego Bay’s main airport was badly hit and business aviation groups and Samaritan’s Purse have begun airlifts.
- Officials warned of crippling damage to agriculture and the UN disaster office said overall losses could rival Jamaica’s annual GDP, with formal assessments still underway.