Hurricane Melissa Death toll in Jamaica rises to 32 as officials reassess travel season

The Jamaican government on Monday said at least 32 deaths had been reported Hurricane Melissawith Information Minister Dana Morris Dixon saying there were eight unconfirmed deaths.

With its tourist season just a month away, officials are scrambling to rebuild Bad Category Category 5 Storm that was divided into the western region. Before the storm hit on Oct. 28, the government expected Jamaica’s tourism industry to grow by 7% this winter and was preparing to welcome an estimated 4.3 million visitors.

Now, officials are considering renovating hotels and clearing garbage in the western part of the island in hopes of getting tourist dollars at a time when they are most needed.

Melissa was the strongest hurricane to hit the island since records began 174 years ago. The National Weather Service says the storm initially made landfall near New Hope, on the southwest coast of Jamaica.

Before the storm, the Jamaican government said it had done everything it could to prepare. “There is no infrastructure in the region that can withstand phase 5,” Prime Minister Holvener said.

“We’re still doing our assessment, but most of the damage was in the northwest and southwest,” said Christopher Jarrett, who heads the Jamaica Hotel and Tourism Association.

He noted that the famous area of ​​Negril in Westmoreland was spared much damage.

All international airports in Jamaica have reopened and are receiving commercial flights. But almost a week later One of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record Hit the western edge of Jamaica, tourism officials were still trying to get a true picture of the damage to this sector – the basis of the island’s economy.

Jarrett said the Lobby Group, which represents private hotels and attractions on the island, could no longer reach many of its members, especially in the West Hanover region, as the connection to electric services was down.

“Every single person affected is doing everything to get back and running,” he said.

In recent days, Exports Minister Edmund Bartlett said he expects Jamaica’s tourism sector to return to normal by December 15, the start of the peak season.

“It helps some and not others,” Jarrett said of the time, pointing out that the big hotel chains will be able to recover quickly.

Jarrett, who operates the Altamont-owned Court Hotel with properties in Kingston and Montego Bay, said only one property in Montego Bay mitigated the roof damage and that was repaired.

Despite disruptions to the critical tourism sector, Jarrett said he does not expect the Cold Failout to be significant. He said many hotels in the capital city of Kingston and the North Coast Town of Ocho Rios were getting business from AID workers.

“Currently, we offer discounts, between 25% and 50%, and others [hotels] he offered a compliment as well,” Jarrett said.

Tourism is Jamaica’s main source of foreign exchange earnings, contributing a combined 30% to gross domestic product and indirectly. It employs an estimated 175,000 people and is a major economic driver in other sectors of the Jamaican economy, such as construction, banking and finance, utilities and agriculture and agribusiness.

Disruption in the tourism sector also affects many suppliers of goods and services.

“There are some hotels closed and most of the tourists have left, most of us have been left out of work. This storm has never destroyed buildings;

Desrine Smith, a craftsman who plies her trade in the town of Falmouth in Falmouth North and Northwest Prelawny, emphasized those structures.

“Days of travel without visitors coming to buy anything means there is no merchandise and no money. We are surviving every day, now everything is uncertain,” it said. “The storm is impacting our pockets hard.”

Crews are still trying to reach 25 isolated locations in western Jamaica as helicopters continue to drop food. Almost half of all Power Customers live without electricity.