Dear Editor,

Based on media reports, you would think a comic book villain named ‘Cold Front’ swept across Jamaica at the start of February 2026. Story after story told the same tale: no light, no water, no internet. Many reports on social media from residents stated that they were left in the dark, all thanks to what is usually just a modest dip in temperature and a few gusts of wind.

This was not a hurricane. Not a tropical storm. Just a cold front, the meteorological equivalent of a brisk breeze with commitment. Yet here we were, with solar lights, routers silent, and pipes dry, wondering if we had time-travelled back to the 1800s.

At this rate, a heavy dew might take down the entire grid.

Jokes aside, it is worrying that such a routine weather system could cause such widespread disruption. In a country that regularly braces for far more intense events, our basic services should not fold at the first shiver in the air. Electricity, water, and connectivity are not luxuries. They are the backbone of modern life, education, and business.

Jamaicans are resilient, yes, but resilience should not mean mastering the art of coping with failing infrastructure. Perhaps it is time we weatherproof more than just our roofs.

Juvelle Taylor

juvelle.taylor@yahoo.com