KINGSTON, Jamaica — A powerful demonstration of regional cooperation is accelerating Jamaica’s recovery from Hurricane Melissa’s devastation, as a new wave of Caribbean linemen arrives to support critical power restoration efforts. This second contingent, part of a coordinated mutual assistance agreement, signals the intensifying final phase of Jamaica Public Service Company’s (JPS) massive reconstruction operation.
The regional response, orchestrated through the Caribbean Electric Utility Services Corporation (CARILEC), has mobilized expertise from across the archipelago. Fresh crews from Barbados, Belize, Grand Bahama, Nevis, St Lucia, and the US Virgin Islands have joined earlier teams from 17 Caribbean nations, creating one of the most comprehensive disaster response collaborations in recent regional history.
JPS officials confirmed that the collective effort now encompasses technical personnel from Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, the British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Guyana, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Curaçao. With over 100 regional linemen deployed alongside North American contractors, the partnership represents an unprecedented multinational response to the Category 5 hurricane that struck on October 28, 2025.
The utility company acknowledged that the current ‘last mile’ restoration phase presents exceptional challenges. Difficult terrain and geographically dispersed communities in deep rural areas require high-intensity efforts for minimal customer gains. Despite these obstacles, JPS maintains its commitment to restoring service safely and efficiently, with regional partners providing both personnel and specialized equipment—including bucket trucks from Trinidad and Tobago, the Cayman Islands, and Grand Bahama—to supplement local resources.
In an official statement, JPS highlighted that this extraordinary regional support underscores the strength of Caribbean cooperation and the enduring spirit of solidarity that defines the region’s approach to disaster management and recovery.