Jamaica
After Hurricane Melissa destroyed the “breadbasket of Jamaica,” we knew it would be a long road to recovery. With our community’s aid, that restoration is underway.
And residents and staff are facing it courageously.
The impact of a hurricane reaches far beyond the scope of a storm cloud. Infrastructure and communities are still in recovery, particularly in Montego Bay.
A hurricane picks up the pressure of the ocean and the fierceness of the wind, flinging it into communities that children call home.
This is what Hurricane Melissa brought to Jamaica in October 2025. It ravaged St. Elizabeth parish, known as “the breadbasket of Jamaica,” and much of the island’s western side so that countless homes, roads, and fields were battered and unusable.
Now, seven months later, communities are still doing the work of restoring key infrastructure to access food, water, and materials to rebuild their precious home.
Montego Bay, situated on the northwest coast of Jamaica, bears evidence of Hurricane Melissa’s wrath: the torn roots of trees reach towards the sky and metal that was once the roof over a family’s heads sits mangled on the ground.
Hurricane Melissa is estimated to have caused US$12.2 billion in damage and losses — equivalent to roughly 56.7% of Jamaica’s 2024 GDP.
These losses interrupt daily life for people living in Jamaica still, impacting:
Roads to transport medical supplies, building materials, water, and food.
Roofs and windows on homes, schools, shops, and other buildings.
Agriculture, trees, and crops of food growing across farmland.
Power and communications for businesses and families.
Mustard Seed Communities’ home in Montego Bay, Blessed Assurance, was no exception.
During the hurricane, the residents and caregivers of Blessed Assurance endured flooding, howling winds, and complete isolation from the rest of the island. Afterwards, it took days to clear roads and restore communications.
Today, power is back and the Blessed Assurance community has returned to daily life.
Yet, Hurricane Melissa changed its landscape and operations so that life looks different.
We are doing everything we can to restore Blessed Assurance. United with the local community, mission volunteers traveling to lend a hand, and supporters from around the world, Blessed Assurance is steadily being rebuilt so that every resident can rest assured that they have a place to call home, always.
With projects underway to restore living space and restart agricultural initiatives, we are on the road to recovery. And we walk it filled with hope.
5 Ways Hurricane Melissa Impacted Blessed Assurance and How We Are Responding
1. Three Resident and Mission Staff Cottages Destroyed
Built on a gentle hill with a stream along the bottom, Blessed Assurance has its resident cottages in a row toward the bottom of the slope. As the floodwaters rose, those cottages were the first to be submerged.
Furniture and supplies inside were a total loss. Three cottages were put totally out of commission.
How we’re responding:
For now, all residents fit into two large cottages: 19 girls in one, 14 boys in the other. Construction of a brand new cottage, built of cement that will be sturdier in future storms, is well underway.
2. No Access to Water and Electricity
Infrastructure was totally wiped out during the hurricane. During the storm and for the following two months, there was no electricity at Blessed Assurance.
Much of the area still has no running water.
How we’re responding:
Critical for refrigerating medications and food safety, power was brought back via generator until the area’s electricity was restored.
Access to water is limited: it is delivered by truck, filling large vats so residents and caregivers can access what they need. Drinking water comes from bottles.
Administrators plan to continue storing water so that residents always have access no matter what until running water can be restored.
3. Damage to Mission House and Administration Building
Water and wind tore off siding, washed away lights, damaged roofs, and wore out the gutters on our administration building, which is home to offices as well as the residents’ sensory education room.
The mission house faced damage, though minimal: its second floor sheltered residents and caregivers throughout the duration of the hurricane.
How we’re responding:
Teams of building volunteers from Kentucky, including professional carpenters, roofers, and plumbers, came to Blessed Assurance to address damages.
They completed exterior repairs, like gutter installation, painting, and siding replacement, and re-installed solar security lights at the administration building.
4. Disruption to Agricultural Initiatives by Washed Away Chicken Coop
Though it was situated at the highest point of Blessed Assurance’s property, the chicken coop was not spared from the hurricane’s wrath. We sustained a total loss of the coop, which provided the residents and local community with fresh eggs.
How we’re responding:
While the land is in recovery, a volunteer team from Kentucky cleared the damaged debris and started work on a new chicken coop. The new coop, currently under construction, will improve upon the one that was lost.
Farming operations will be back on the property!
5. Severely Wind-Blown Chapel and Prayer Garden
Our Lady of Lourdes Chapel and Mary’s Garden, where residents, caregivers, and mission volunteers gather for prayer and song, were both severely damaged in the wind and flooding. Pieces of the chapel roof tore off, and water filled the pews.
How we’re responding:
The chapel is cleared of water and debris like branches and rocks. Volunteers landscaped and restored the prayer garden, crafting a peaceful space for meditation once again.
How We Are Moving Forward
These advancements at Blessed Assurance are the beginning of our recovery journey.
We are filled with gratitude for every member of our community who gave their support in order for us to restore our homes back to their highest capacity of care, dignity, and support for the most vulnerable.
We prioritize thorough preparation for any storm we must weather in the future.
Right now, we are working on the capacity to store water: we need to receive and distribute water deliveries and have enough resources to keep daily care going, no matter what’s happening beyond our gates.
Preparation makes all the difference when we are faced with adversity, and you can join us in planning ahead to provide care through any storm.
Become a monthly supporter of Mustard Seed Communities now: a Mountain Mover who provides care even when it gets hard.