Overview
- President Andrew Holness told lawmakers the storm destroyed assets worth an estimated 28–32% of last year’s GDP and warned output could fall 8–13% in the short term.
- Washington announced $24 million in initial assistance for Jamaica, Haiti, Cuba and the Bahamas, with about half earmarked for Jamaica.
- The official death toll in Jamaica is 32, and authorities caution the number could rise as search-and-recovery operations continue.
- Power and communications remain severely limited, with nearly half of households still without electricity and helicopters supplying 25 isolated communities in the west.
- Air travel operates on reduced schedules and many travelers face delays, while Germany advises against non‑essential trips and warns of robbery risks in hard‑hit parishes including St. Elizabeth, Westmoreland, St. James and Trelawny.