Weeks after Category 5 Hurricane Melissa swept across Jamaica on October 28, leaving a trail of damaged homes and infrastructure in its wake, homeowners and construction teams in the parish of Trelawny are facing an unexpected new barrier to rebuilding: widespread cement shortages at local hardware outlets that are pushing critical repair projects back by days or even weeks.
For many residents already grappling with storm damage, the lack of cement has upended carefully laid reconstruction plans. One anonymous young homeowner from south Trelawny, who spoke with the Jamaica Observer last Friday at a Falmouth hardware, explained that her planned weekend roof replacement — a project that would swap her storm-damaged zinc roof for a more durable concrete slab — had to be postponed indefinitely because her construction crew could not source the necessary cement. She noted that she had been able to acquire most other building materials gradually, but chose not to stockpile cement ahead of time due to the cool, damp conditions in her area, which could cause the product to solidify and spoil before use.
Local hardware operators across Trelawny have confirmed the ongoing supply gaps. Alex Chen, proprietor of the well-known Just In Hardware in Falmouth, told reporters that his location has been completely out of cement for two full weeks, despite maintaining full stock of all other construction materials to meet post-hurricane repair demand. Hugh Grant, who runs Grant’s Hardware in the nearby Albert Town community, acknowledged that cement has been out of stock at his business since the storm passed, though he stopped short of calling the situation a widespread shortage, noting only that his most recent scheduled shipment has not yet arrived.
But another Albert Town hardware owner, Lloyd Gillings, described the current situation as an outright crisis that has already cost his business significant revenue. Gillings told reporters that suppliers are now rationing cement, limiting most small businesses to purchases of just five bags at a time, and some suppliers are even forcing customers to buy additional unrelated products to access any cement stock at all. “The big companies get priority for what cement is available, and they won’t even take our orders because they can’t fulfill them,” he explained, adding that he recently had to visit three separate locations across two parishes to source just 150 bags of cement for a small new construction project he is launching in Knockpatrick, Manchester.
Veteran Trelawny building contractor Orville Webb noted that most other post-hurricane supply bottlenecks for materials like zinc sheeting and nails have eased in recent weeks, with stock levels returning to normal. But he echoed the concerns about cement, explaining that he was shocked to find no stock during a recent trip to a Falmouth hardware, and ultimately had to pay a third-party transporter to bring the product from another location to keep his projects on schedule. “It looks like the shortage is only going to get worse before it gets better,” Webb warned.
For some residents, the cement shortage compounds already devastating post-storm struggles. Elisha Steel, a Scarlett Hall resident who was already denied support from the government’s Restoration of Owner or Occupant Family Shelters (ROOFS) hurricane recovery program after assessors refused to climb his damaged roof to survey the damage, is now facing a $400,000 repair bill he cannot complete because he cannot source the full volume of cement he needs. “Everywhere I go in Falmouth, there’s either no cement at all, or they won’t sell me the full amount I need,” Steel lamented.
Caribbean Cement Company Limited, Jamaica’s leading cement supplier, addressed the supply issues in an official statement, acknowledging that some customers have experienced delivery delays but denying that there is any overall shortage of the product. The company confirmed that it is currently operating at full production capacity, and explained that recent heavy rainfall left raw materials with excess moisture, causing minor temporary operational disruptions. The company added that those operational issues have now been fully resolved, and deliveries are in the process of being normalized across the island.
Beyond the immediate supply challenges, the hurricane has spurred new calls for better disaster preparedness among Jamaican business owners. Speaking recently at the 2025/2026 Western Campus Seminar hosted by the University of Technology Jamaica at Sea Gardens Beach Resort, Jason Russell, president of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry, advised business owners to set aside dedicated emergency disaster recovery funds to cover immediate repair costs, pointing to long delays that often hold up insurance claim payouts. “We can’t just sit around waiting for insurance to pay out after a storm. Insurance won’t reopen your business tomorrow; the claims process takes a very long time more often than not,” Russell explained, noting that his own hotel sustained damage during Hurricane Melissa and received no insurance payout, but was able to resume operations quickly because the business had saved emergency reserve funds.
Photos from across Trelawny illustrate the scope of the supply gap: the warehouse at Falmouth’s Just In Hardware sits completely empty of cement stock, while Herma Gillings displays the handful of remaining bags left at the Albert Town hardware she operates with her husband Lloyd.