WE know there have been at least 45 deaths, with a number of people listed as missing, in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa. And, physical damage is being estimated at well in excess of US$8 billion by various organisations, not least the World Bank. We are told that’s about 41 per cent of Jamaica’s gross domestic product (GDP) last year.

But we have to agree with former Prime Minister P J Patterson that, “we really won’t know the full extent” of the destruction wrought by the hurricane until “proper calculations” are done.

Beyond the physical, there are those who will possibly never overcome the psychological trauma caused by Melissa’s malicious romp through Jamaica’s west.

Hence, we welcome the announcement by Education Minister Dr Dana Morris Dixon that the Government will pay for professional psychological and emotional support for students and teachers needing help.

On the physical side, the minister says it’s so bad that “some… schools, when you go there, you don’t see a school. The hurricane has completely destroyed it”.

Such awful realities have necessitated creative thinking for the resumption of classes, which must happen soonest, even in our worst-hit areas.

We applaud plans for temporary arrangements which will allow students from “non-operational” schools to be part of another school community “for a defined period…”

Likewise, a flexible approach for external exams, with the Caribbean Examinations Council agreeing to extend the timetable for Jamaica, makes sense.

Outside of education, the challenges are also enormous and popping up daily such as leptospirosis, a bacterial disease for which rats are largely blamed. Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton tells us that leptospirosis has claimed six lives since the passage of the hurricane.

The need to constantly keep people on alert regarding how to avoid contaminated water, soil, food, and any other element has to be front and centre for the authorities — not only in relation to leptospirosis.

Under no circumstances should it be assumed that people know.

A huge, very obvious challenge is that essential staff, including first responders such as health workers, police, and firefighters, are among those who have been badly affected by Melissa.

We hear that clean-up operations and garbage collection have been slowed significantly because of personal damage suffered by sanitation workers.

In some cases, blocked roads prevented departure from home for a long time after Melissa’s passing.

At another level, our Sunday edition’s front page story tells us that the homes of 25 firefighters from Westmoreland, St Elizabeth, and St James were destroyed by Melissa. Another 168 in the same geographical region suffered significant damage.

We are told that about 15 fire personnel were rendered homeless immediately after the storm and ended up taking refuge at their stations.

That reality has influenced fire Brigade Commissioner Stewart Beckford’s call for help from corporate Jamaica because, he says, [firefighters] answered the call for help “while their own properties were being destroyed…”

We would only add that not just firefighters but essential service personnel across the spectrum clearly need as much help as they can get.

Mr Beckford reminds us that fire and allied hazards have surged with the increased use of tools such as fuel-powered generators.

And, as always, in the absence of electricity there is extreme danger posed by open flames now being used for lighting in many households.

As Mr Beckford warned: “Make sure you put that candle out before you go to sleep.”