KINGSTON, Jamaica — More than 116,000 of the 428,000 buildings in the database of the National Spatial Data Management Branch sustained severe damage during the passage of Hurricane Melissa.

The damage is concentrated in Westmoreland, St Elizabeth and Manchester, according to satellite data and drone verification.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness spoke about the issue on Tuesday during a ministerial statement in the House of Representatives.

“Melissa has caused extensive damage to the nation’s housing stock, particularly in the western parishes. Leveraging our national geospatial intelligence capacity, the Government has, for the first time in our history, executed a rapid, high-resolution national housing damage assessment.

“These findings are now guiding targeted relief and reconstruction planning across affected communities,” said Holness.

“We are now transitioning from emergency sheltering to stabilisation and repair,” he added.

The prime minister said the ministry is conducting field verification in priority communities, with housing support teams working alongside the Jamaica Defence Force, Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management and local authorities.

“As access is restored to additional communities in the west, we will complete our beneficiary verification, accelerate roofing support and deploy building materials, tarpaulins and rapid-repair crews to ensure safety and habitability.”

He shared that the data now being integrated into the post-disaster needs assessment “will shape a resilient housing and building recovery programme”.

The effort is spearheaded by Minister with responsibility for Titling and Settlements, Robert Montague.