The Caribbean prepares for the 2026 hurricane season: Jamaica gets help from the UN while the CARILEC discusses further measures at a roundtable

The Caribbean prepares for the 2026 hurricane season: Jamaica gets help from the UN while the CARILEC discusses further measures at a roundtable

The Caribbean is currently in its most peaceful time of the year. Hurricane season runs typically from June to November, so during this "truce," countries are both preparing for the next season and repairing the damage left by the last one. 

All signs point to nations ramping up their efforts, particularly when it comes to strengthening national preparedness and collaboration.

Farmers get help to recover from the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica

Last year on 2025 Hurricane Melissa swept across the Caribbean from October 21 to November 4; hitting Jamaica as a category five in the early afternoon of October 28. Just a year earlier, the island had been struck by Hurricane Beryl.

High winds carry extreme force, reaching a lifting power of around 18,000 lb on a 25-ft-wide hoophouse. This causes irreparable damage to crops; stripping moisture from foliage, shredding flowers, breaking branches, and uprooting them entirely.

Not to mention the toll on infrastructure such as irrigation and cooling/heating systems, which are essential throughout the entire cropping process.

Fortunately, the UN's FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) is implementing measures to help the hardest-hit countries bounce back from the destruction caused by Hurricanes Melissa and Beryl. To support farmers in restoring their crops, the organization is distributing aid across Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Jamaica.

Relief arrived in Jamaica just days ago. On April 15 a ceremony at the Rural Agricultural Development Authority's Trelawny Parish Office marked the delivery of 600 fertilizer units to be distributed across Trelawny and several surrounding communities.

With a little help from my friends: Jamaica is assisted by one of its neighbors 

Jamaica received support not only from the UN but also from some of its Caribbean neighbors.

"Any country that has ever been devastated by a hurricane can say what a tremendous support it is to have your neighbors come in and help you," stated Robert Whorms, Energy Delivery Director for CUC. “CUC” is an acronym for “Caribbean Utilities Company”, which is the sole public electricity provider in Grand Cayman.

CUC, together with the Caribbean Electric Utility Services Corporation (CARILEC), aided Jamaicans just over a month ago, restoring electricity to approximately 25,000 customers along Jamaica's north coast.

The work mainly involved replacing the utility poles brought down by the storm. This was step one before restringing the conductors and rebuilding the circuits to restore power. As a result, 99% of Jamaica's public utility customers now have power.

To install the new poles, 39 holes were dug, and they brought in one pickup truck, two bucket trucks, and one digger derrick by ship.

Cayman Islands joins the conversation on preparedness ahead of the 2026 hurricane season

Just over a month later, CARILEC held a management disaster roundtable on April 16. The roundtable explored plans to enhance preparedness and recovery capabilities, such as those implemented in Jamaica this March. It also facilitated dialogue on disaster response, the establishment of strategic partnerships, and highlighted the best technologies, tools, and practices for disaster management.

If anything, this demonstrates how swift responses and close collaboration can help mitigate the effects of these devastating events. At the same time, they can prepare the region for whatever 2026 may bring during the upcoming hurricane season.