The scars left by Hurricane Melissa aren’t just physical. While the world sees the shattered homes and uprooted trees, the residents of Parottee, St. Elizabeth, are pleading for help to mend the invisible wounds tearing their community apart. Months after the storm’s fury, the emotional toll is becoming alarmingly clear.
“It’s like everything I had is gone,” Petulia Evans, a Parottee resident, shares, her voice trembling. “Even my ID, my sense of who I am, feels lost. I feel weak, dizzy, like the storm took more than just my belongings.” Petulia’s story isn’t unique. Neighbors, once vibrant, now carry the weight of trauma. A friend, visibly thinner, struggles with the aftermath. Others, lost in their own worlds, speak to themselves, a haunting reminder of the storm’s lingering grip.
And this is the part most people miss: While food and water aid has arrived, the cries for mental health support remain unanswered. Fisherman Ronnie Bennett, whose livelihood was swept away by the surging sea, echoes this desperate need. “People have lost everything,” he says, his voice heavy with concern. “They break down when they talk about what’s gone. Their lives, their sense of security, washed away with the tide.” Bennett’s own losses are stark: two engines, a car, his boat – all claimed by the storm’s relentless grasp.
But here’s where it gets controversial: Authorities, while acknowledging the impending mental health crisis, seem slow to act. Despite warnings from experts like Dr. Christopher Tufton, Minister of Health and Wellness, who predicts worsening trauma, concrete solutions are yet to materialize. Partnerships with organizations like PAHO are promising, but will they reach those most in need in time?
The Jamaica Psychiatric Association and the Jamaica Psychological Society have stepped up, offering volunteer assistance in the hardest-hit areas. Dr. Saphire Longmore, a consultant psychiatrist, emphasizes the depth of the grief: “It’s not just about lost possessions, it’s about lost lives, lost livelihoods, a lost sense of safety.” She explains the complex stages of grief – denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance – a journey many in Parottee are just beginning.
Is enough being done to support Parottee’s residents through this emotional storm? The community’s plea is clear: they need more than just physical rebuilding. They need counseling, support, and a path towards healing. The question remains: will their cries be heard before the psychological damage becomes irreversible?