New BrunswickHurricane Melissa hit Jamaica’s southwest coast on Tuesday, leaving a path of destruction and around 500,000 without power. Some Jamaicans in New Brunswick worry as they try to reach family on the island. Community organizing relief efforts as Category 5 storm leaves widespread damageOliver Pearson · CBC News · Posted: Oct 29, 2025 4:18 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 3 minutesSome Jamaicans in New Brunswick have been hearing from loved ones who were in Hurricane Melissa’s path on Tuesday, while some still haven’t heard back. (Submitted by Michael Grant) After Hurricane Melissa tore through Jamaica on Tuesday, some Jamaicans living in New Brunswick say they’re still waiting to hear from loved ones back home. The Category 5 storm brought about a metre of rain and approximately 300 km/h winds to the island.Michael Grant, president of the Jamaican Canadian Association of New Brunswick, said this week has been nerve-racking.“A lot of persons have families back home that they, to this point, still haven’t even gotten word from if they’re OK,” said Grant.WATCH | ‘We’re still assessing the damage,’ N.B. Jamaican association says:Jamaicans in N.B. trying to reach family, organizing relief effort after ‘nerve-racking’ dayHurricane Melissa slammed into Jamaica on Tuesday as a powerful Category 5 storm and the worst hurricane to hit the island nation in recorded history. He said some of the roughly 1,000 Jamaican people in New Brunswick are from Saint Elizabeth and Manchester Parish, which were the hardest hit in the island’s southwest.Grant said some have reported losing their property in those areas.“We’re still assessing the damage. We’re still listening to hear back because the western side has taken a big hit and that is where most of our tourist attractions are.”One image that was sent into the Jamaican Canadian Association of New Brunswick’s WhatsApp group shows people evacuating encroaching flood waters. (Submitted by Michael Grant)The community in New Brunswick has come together to support each other as they try to communicate with their families.“We’ve so far been very good and supportive of each other during this time, sharing information, sharing with each other what has been transpiring.”The hurricane is the worst storm in recorded history to hit the island, and at least 500,000 are without power. There have also been several deaths reported.For some Jamaicans in the province, it’s a relief the impact wasn’t as bad as they anticipated. But for others, there’s uncertainty while they wait to hear from family and friends, according to Grant, who was born in Kingston, in the west of the island, before coming to Canada in 2014.Most of Grant’s relatives are in Kingston and St. Catherine, which he said were not as significantly impacted.Grant said support efforts are ongoing and his association is working with the Consulate General of Jamaica in Canada and the High Commission of Canada in Jamaica.He said the airport hasn’t been heavily impacted and flights should quickly resume.There is information on the New Brunswick association’s website on how to support recovery efforts.The storm has moved on from Jamaica and moved through Cuba on Wednesday as a Category 3 storm. ABOUT THE AUTHOROliver Pearson is a reporter at CBC New Brunswick. He can be reached at oliver.pearson@cbc.caWith files from Clare MacKenzie
Jamaicans in N.B. anxiously await word from family after Hurricane Melissa batters island
