Overview
- Authorities report 45 confirmed deaths and 15 people missing, with helicopters sustaining supply drops to two towns still cut off since the Oct. 28 landfall.
- Roughly 30,000 households were displaced and 1,100 people remain in 88 emergency shelters, officials said.
- Service restoration continues, with about 64% of electricity back online, mobile service at roughly 50% and water service above 70%, including power restored to Montego Bay’s international airport.
- Financial support includes a $150 million catastrophe bond payout and new U.S. funding that brings regional assistance to nearly $37 million, yet insured losses may exceed $4 billion and a far larger rebuilding shortfall looms.
- Fact-checkers debunked viral AI-generated images falsely linked to Jamaica’s damage, as experts warn of a compounding disaster cycle that demands longer-term adaptation and financing reforms.