Durrant Pate/Contributor

One year ago, Hurricane Beryl tore through southern Jamaica, flattening homes and devastating livelihoods across St Elizabeth and Westmoreland, and Woodcats International stepped in, providing the building materials needed to help both families rebuild, and is doing it again for victims of Melissa, which ravaged the western end of Jamaica last month. 

Hurricane Beryl in July 2024 hit hard for Esmiralda Clarke of Congo Hole and Shatalee Nanco of Mountain Side, St Elizabeth, who lost their roof, which was ripped away by the storm’s brutal winds last year. Woodcats stepped in and provided the building materials needed to help both families rebuild. That intervention restored not just their homes but their sense of stability and hope, with similar damage done to others by Hurricane Melissa on Tuesday, October 28. 

The Woodcats team returned to both communities, bringing what they could and checking in on the people they had been supporting. What the team discovered was remarkable: the roofs held. The homes rebuilt after Beryl stood firm through Melissa’s heavy rains and destructive winds. Both Clarke and a family member of Nanco expressed deep relief that the structures reinforced in 2024 had withstood this year’s storm.

“Seeing that their homes were able to withstand the impact of the storm this time around was encouraging,” explained General Manager of Woodcats International Peter Douglas. “Hearing directly from Esmiralda about her relief, and listening to Shatalee’s family share the same sense of comfort despite some flooding, reminded us why this work matters. As a company, we will continue to do all that we can to lend support as the nation recovers.”

Frontline workers at the fore

Woodcats continued its post–Hurricane Melissa outreach with a series of relief stops across St. Elizabeth and Westmoreland, delivering aid to frontline workers, vulnerable residents, and communities struggling to recover from widespread destruction. The first stop was the Whitehouse community, where the Whitehouse Police Station had sustained heavy damage. Despite compromised infrastructure and ongoing challenges with power and communication, officers remained on duty.

Woodcats provided tarpaulins, cases of water, and care packages to the police team and, with their guidance, distributed additional supplies to affected residents. The team then travelled into the hills of Petersville, Westmoreland, where mobile service was down, and residents gathered on shop verandas to share updates and support one another.  From there, the team continued into central Westmoreland, stopping at the Savanna-la-Mar Hospital to visit staff members and deliver care packages to doctors, nurses, and senior personnel through CEO, Roan Grant. 

For Grant, “it was important for us to support those who have gone above and beyond, often putting the needs of others before their own. Frontline workers are deeply committed to helping others, yet they are often overlooked during relief efforts. Even small acts of support can make a meaningful difference.” Care packages were also shared with ancillary staff who had been working nonstop to keep operations running with KingAlarm officers on duty, many of whom left their own affected families to help maintain safety during the storm, and with Member of Parliament for Westmoreland Central, Dwayne Vaz, to assist in reaching additional vulnerable families in the constituency.

As the Woodcats team journeyed back to Kingston, they once again passed through Bluefields and noticed residents gathered together in the darkness along the roadside. Many were afraid to remain inside the unstable structures that once housed them. Moved by the sight, Douglas instructed the team to turn around. Woodcats provided additional cases of Refresh water, care packages, and tarpaulins, offering not just supplies, but comfort, dignity, and reassurance that they had not been forgotten.

As recovery efforts continue, Woodcats International remains committed to supporting communities and frontline workers across Jamaica. The company is proud to stand alongside the private-sector partners who have answered the national call, recognising that long-term rebuilding requires collective action, compassion, and a shared commitment to helping Jamaica rise again.