The preliminary assessment of the impact of Hurricane Melissa indicates J$35 billion in damage to national infrastructure, including roads, drains, gullies and key sections of the island’s major corridors.

Hurricane Melissa, the strongest storm ever to make landfall in Jamaica, struck the island on October 28, resulting in widespread destruction across several parishes.

The Ministry of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development (MEGID) in a statement today, says it has completed an initial assessment, placing the cost to restore national road-related infrastructure at an estimated J$35 billion.

Works Minister Robert Morgan says at its meeting on Monday, Cabinet approved J$5 billion in emergency expenditure to fast-track recovery.

He says the J$5 billion rapid-response allocation ensures that the most critical communities get relief now.

Mr. Morgan says the preliminary estimate of J$35 billion in damage shows the scale of devastation, and the ministry remains committed to full transparency as the country rebuilds stronger.

A detailed parish-by-parish assessment will be released once engineering teams complete their field evaluations.