In the midst of Hurricane Melissa's tragedy, a journalist's touching moment
By Helen "Han" Ly
November 11, 2025 at 7:00 AM EST
Octavio Jones was in Jamaica to document the storm's aftermath when an encounter with a 5-year-old boy put the devastation into perspective.
Journalist Octavio Jones was in Jamaica documenting the fallen homes, flooded roads and families sifting through debris after Hurricane Melissa tore apart the eastern half of the island.
That's when he felt a tug.
"I felt a little nudge on my pants, and I looked down. This kid with sort of eyes wide open," Jones recalled on "Florida Matters: Live & Local." "And next thing you know, he raises arms, you know, to pick him up."
The boy was too young to understand the destruction around him.
"My first reaction is to pick him up," Jones said. "We're seeing around us, and feeling for the people of Jamaica."
Jones said it was moments like this that helped him set the tone to tell the story of what Jamaica is going through after the passing of the Category 5 storm, with winds of 185 mph.
"I think this is what we need to do as journalists," Jones said, "to be here on the ground and to tell this story of how people are being impacted by the storm."
Homes were left in ruins by Hurricane Melissa, which pounded Jamaica with 185-mph winds in late October 2025. (3000x2000, AR: 1.5)
Unspeakable devastation
Jones is a regular contributor to WUSF. On Monday's episode of "Florida Matters: Live and Local," he joined ROK Hotel Kingston general manager Amit Mahbubani and discussed the destructive impact of the hurricane on Jamaica and the Black River community.
St. Elizabeth Parish, known as the “breadbasket” of Jamaica, is an agricultural region supplying major markets in Kingston, Montego Bay, and other parishes. The storm, which made landfall in Westmoreland, a few miles to the west, wiped out most of the crops.
Jones compared the aftermath to a bomb being dropped on the community.
"We were driving through these roads that were somewhat impassable. Trees all over the place," Jones said. "You're looking at bark that's completely ripped off the trunks as if it was some sort of wasteland, as if we were watching a movie. You just see homes ripped off its foundations."
In Black River, the capital of the parish, some walls were still standing tall. However, the hurricane winds had blown away the aluminum roofs. Jones said the scene reminded him of hurricanes Helene and Milton, which slammed Florida the year.
"It was a sense of deja vu, even going back to Hurricane Ian, to what we saw in Fort Myers (in 2022)," Jones said. "You will see them (these homes) either shattered as they were toothpicks, or you may have seen a shipping container that was once at a port, now maybe 400 yards away inland."
Mahbubani was working at the ROK Hotel in Kingston, on Jamaica's southeastern coast, when the storm rolled in. He said the damage in Kingston, the nation's capital, was minimal compared to Black River, about 100 miles to the west.
"We prepared as best as we could, so we were able to mitigate a lot of the challenges that could have happened," Mahbubani said. "(A) few plants and trees, here and there, but nothing as crazy as how Black River, Westmoreland and that side got affected."
A woman surveys the damage on Oct. 31, 2025, after Hurricane Melissa tore through Jamaica. (3000x2000, AR: 1.5)
Impact on the tourism industry
Tourism is the cornerstone of Jamaica's economy, and the hurricane has threatened the jobs and income of thousands of residents who rely on the industry.
On the west coast, many hotels were closed due to storm damage. Many tourism companies, such as Visitjamaica.com and the Jamaica Tourist Board, have issued announcements regarding the reopening of hotels.
Mahbubani emphasized the primary focus is on support and recovery.
"At the end of the day, we have to think about tourism workers and their families and so forth. I know a lot of relief agencies are down here helping out the west coast," Mahbubani said. "So at the end of the day, it's all hands on deck and the road to recovery."
The ROK Hotel Kingston has become one of the hubs for recovery workers. Mahbubani explained that the hotel is now at full occupancy.
"We have military personnal staying with us, lots of different relief and charity organizations that have come down," he said. "Not just my hotel, but word on the ground is that all the hotels are pretty much at occupancy, given that everyone has come down to assist Jamaica on a whole."
The Jamaican people will need as much support as ever. The Jamaica Public Service is repairing infrastructure and restoring electricity. The National Water Commission is working tirelessly to restore clean water availability. Mahbubani said households have been receiving Starlink kit donations, helping families stay connected.
"The main things that I think we need right now: food, shelter, clothing and, of course, just communication," Mahbubani said. "That's really critical right now."
This story was compiled from interviews conducted by Matthew Peddie for "Florida Matters Live & Local." You can listen to the full episode here.
That's when he felt a tug.
"I felt a little nudge on my pants, and I looked down. This kid with sort of eyes wide open," Jones recalled on "Florida Matters: Live & Local." "And next thing you know, he raises arms, you know, to pick him up."
The boy was too young to understand the destruction around him.
"My first reaction is to pick him up," Jones said. "We're seeing around us, and feeling for the people of Jamaica."
Jones said it was moments like this that helped him set the tone to tell the story of what Jamaica is going through after the passing of the Category 5 storm, with winds of 185 mph.
"I think this is what we need to do as journalists," Jones said, "to be here on the ground and to tell this story of how people are being impacted by the storm."
Homes were left in ruins by Hurricane Melissa, which pounded Jamaica with 185-mph winds in late October 2025. (3000x2000, AR: 1.5)
Unspeakable devastation
Jones is a regular contributor to WUSF. On Monday's episode of "Florida Matters: Live and Local," he joined ROK Hotel Kingston general manager Amit Mahbubani and discussed the destructive impact of the hurricane on Jamaica and the Black River community.
St. Elizabeth Parish, known as the “breadbasket” of Jamaica, is an agricultural region supplying major markets in Kingston, Montego Bay, and other parishes. The storm, which made landfall in Westmoreland, a few miles to the west, wiped out most of the crops.
Jones compared the aftermath to a bomb being dropped on the community.
"We were driving through these roads that were somewhat impassable. Trees all over the place," Jones said. "You're looking at bark that's completely ripped off the trunks as if it was some sort of wasteland, as if we were watching a movie. You just see homes ripped off its foundations."
In Black River, the capital of the parish, some walls were still standing tall. However, the hurricane winds had blown away the aluminum roofs. Jones said the scene reminded him of hurricanes Helene and Milton, which slammed Florida the year.
"It was a sense of deja vu, even going back to Hurricane Ian, to what we saw in Fort Myers (in 2022)," Jones said. "You will see them (these homes) either shattered as they were toothpicks, or you may have seen a shipping container that was once at a port, now maybe 400 yards away inland."
Mahbubani was working at the ROK Hotel in Kingston, on Jamaica's southeastern coast, when the storm rolled in. He said the damage in Kingston, the nation's capital, was minimal compared to Black River, about 100 miles to the west.
"We prepared as best as we could, so we were able to mitigate a lot of the challenges that could have happened," Mahbubani said. "(A) few plants and trees, here and there, but nothing as crazy as how Black River, Westmoreland and that side got affected."
A woman surveys the damage on Oct. 31, 2025, after Hurricane Melissa tore through Jamaica. (3000x2000, AR: 1.5)
Impact on the tourism industry
Tourism is the cornerstone of Jamaica's economy, and the hurricane has threatened the jobs and income of thousands of residents who rely on the industry.
On the west coast, many hotels were closed due to storm damage. Many tourism companies, such as Visitjamaica.com and the Jamaica Tourist Board, have issued announcements regarding the reopening of hotels.
Mahbubani emphasized the primary focus is on support and recovery.
"At the end of the day, we have to think about tourism workers and their families and so forth. I know a lot of relief agencies are down here helping out the west coast," Mahbubani said. "So at the end of the day, it's all hands on deck and the road to recovery."
The ROK Hotel Kingston has become one of the hubs for recovery workers. Mahbubani explained that the hotel is now at full occupancy.
"We have military personnal staying with us, lots of different relief and charity organizations that have come down," he said. "Not just my hotel, but word on the ground is that all the hotels are pretty much at occupancy, given that everyone has come down to assist Jamaica on a whole."
The Jamaican people will need as much support as ever. The Jamaica Public Service is repairing infrastructure and restoring electricity. The National Water Commission is working tirelessly to restore clean water availability. Mahbubani said households have been receiving Starlink kit donations, helping families stay connected.
"The main things that I think we need right now: food, shelter, clothing and, of course, just communication," Mahbubani said. "That's really critical right now."
This story was compiled from interviews conducted by Matthew Peddie for "Florida Matters Live & Local." You can listen to the full episode here.