"As a daughter of Black River, Jamaica, the four weeks after Hurricane Melissa made landfall on October 28, 2025 have been so so hard. I went to Black River Primary School and my cousin was the principal during much of that time. My dad worked at the courthouse and my mom worked at the only bank in town. My aunt taught music at the high school, and at one point my sister was a nurse in the hospital, where my cousin now works."
"I have so many emotions. I am feeling a lot of loss, grief, nostalgia, relief, frustration, helplessness, love, pride, and stress -a lot of stress. I am feeling it in my body, mind, and spirit, and from the conversations I have had with other Jamaicans in the diaspora, they are feeling it too. And this piece is for all of us."
Black River experienced severe structural and cultural damage when Hurricane Melissa made landfall on October 28, 2025. Multiple family-linked institutions—school, courthouse, bank, high school music program, hospital, and an Anglican church—suffered damage or collapse, displacing residents and severing generational ties. The storm’s slow approach heightened anxiety as people tracked forecasts and warnings. Immediate survival scenes included relatives and resident doctors sheltering in a carport after roofs were ripped off. The community and diaspora report layered emotional responses: grief, loss, nostalgia, relief, frustration, helplessness, love, pride, and persistent stress affecting body, mind, and spirit.
Read at Psychology Today
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