FOR Carl Bailey, owner of Macs Foods Supermarket and Wholesale, the impact of Hurricane Melissa went beyond structural damage. In the chaotic aftermath of the Category 5 storm his business was also looted by people searching for food and essential supplies.

Despite the significant losses he suffered, Bailey says the experience did not break his resolve. More than four months after the storm tore through the island on October 28, 2025, his supermarket remains operational and open.

Reflecting on the difficult days following the devastating hurricane, Bailey said he does not view the looting simply as a loss. Instead, he sees it as a moment when he was able to serve members of his community during their most desperate time. Bailey believes the people who entered the store were not simply looters, but residents trying to survive in the immediate aftermath of the disaster.

He shared that he will forever remain rooted in the town of Black River, where he established his business more than a decade ago in 2011, and remains hopeful that the St Elizabeth capital will rebuild and rise again.

“I lost everything. First, the water and debris damaged the shutter — that’s the entry point for the store so it just destroyed everything on the ground floor of the supermarket and storeroom. But then the looters went in on what was not damaged by water. The storeroom upstairs and stuff, they went and took everything, so by the time I got to the store [the] Thursday morning — I couldn’t reach there on Wednesday — the majority of the things that were still there or would have still been good was gone. The store couldn’t properly close for a while back then so everything eventually went — equipment and everything,” Bailey told the Jamaica Observer.

He said when he arrived in Black River the scene before him was chaotic, with many residents searching through rubble for food and other essential supplies. Some residents, he said, were also in his supermarket, removing from an upstairs storeroom items that weren’t destroyed when six feet of water flooded the establishment.

However, Bailey said he did not try to stop them.

“Almost everywhere was destroyed in and around Black River, and people had no house or roof. I had staff [who] their entire house — everything, the entire structure — was gone, so when I looked at those things I said, ‘Well, people just don’t know what is going to come because this has never happened before.’ They didn’t know where they were going to get food or shelter, so I just left them,” he shared.

“It’s looting, because by definition they weren’t given permission, but for me, when I looked at everything, I said it was just survival mode in our way. In their mind, they were just in survival mode, just trying to get something for tomorrow,” he reasoned.

The business owner said the loss was great, totalling hundreds of millions of dollars — including equipment and stock he had credited in preparation for the growth in demand for food after the hurricane.

Now indebted, he said he is in dialogue with suppliers about payment plans, with no intention of leaving the historic town. Bailey said it has never been his desire to leave Jamaica, and he would not allow damage from a hurricane to change his mind.

“People have to eat. If I don’t do it, who is going to do it? It’s my source of income, but also it’s not just mine; it’s other people’s. When I look at the town I say, ‘Well, while I lost all stocks and equipment, my building was still intact.’ It was intact for a reason, and I just have to try and move to recover,” he told the Sunday Observer.

He shared that he spent two weeks after the storm checking on family members, friends, and even customers. He added that his 28 staff members, who were also impacted, received time to stabilise themselves. The supermarket eventually reopened on December 17, 2025.

Bailey disclosed that since reopening, business has been good. He said many residents have reached out to thank him for his kindness and have since revisited the supermarket, this time with cash in hand. He shared that he did not expect a reward for his kindness, noting that it has always been in his nature to give back.

“For me, it’s just always about doing good. I just live by that. It is just in me. Yes, it makes me feel good but my thing is that in life, I am happy when I see people smile. If I can make somebody smile today, that makes me happy,” he said, adding that the support is encouraging.

As he looks to the future in positive spirits Bailey expressed high hopes that, together, the town of Black River will be rebuilt.

“Hurricane Melissa came and [went], and we just have to accept that because life goes on. If you look at the plants around, they’re already green again. You don’t see them crying and saying they can’t grow again, because that’s just a part of nature. We are a part of nature,” said Bailey.

“You have to just accept, and think forward, and move forward, and find things to be grateful about. That’s what motivates me and just helps me to continue on a day-to-day basis. Don’t try to take things too far down the road; just try to do a day at a time. You plan for down the road but today is what you have to work with, so just try to do what I do today,” he encouraged residents and fellow business owners.

Macs Foods Supermarket and Wholesale in Black River, St Elizabeth, was looted in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa but has since reopened. Photo: Karl Mclarty

Looting taking place in Black River, St Elizabeth, in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Melissa Photo: Garfield Robinson