Mon | Feb 23, 2026

More Caribbean line workers arrive in Ja to help with Melissa electricity restoration

Published:Friday | January 23, 2026 | 10:21 AM
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A crew of linemen from Barbados pause for a moment, shortly after arrival in the island to assist with electricity restoration.
Contributed
A crew of linemen from Barbados pause for a moment, shortly after arrival in the island to assist with electricity restoration.
A lineman crew from the US Virgin Islands caught shortly after arrival, for restoration activities in western Jamaica.
Contributed
A lineman crew from the US Virgin Islands caught shortly after arrival, for restoration activities in western Jamaica.
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The Jamaica Public Service (JPS) is reporting that a second set of Caribbean linemen has arrived in Jamaica, with more to come, as the company pushes ahead in the final stages of Hurricane Melissa electricity restoration.

JPS says the regional linemen are in the island as part of a mutual assistance partnership among Caribbean electric utilities, through the Caribbean Electric Utility Services Corporation (CARILEC), which sees member countries assisting each other in the face of disaster.

It says the members presently in the island are from Barbados, Belize, Grand Bahama, Nevis, St Lucia, and the US Virgin Islands.

JPS notes that teams from 17 Caribbean nations were among some of the earliest crews to arrive in Jamaica, following the onslaught from Melissa - a number of which also brought their own bucket trucks and other vehicles - such as from Trinidad and Tobago, Cayman, and Grand Bahama - to beef up local resources used in the rebuilding and restoration.

The power company says the early mobilisation of regional partners, coupled with their ongoing support, has significantly enhanced JPS’ ability to respond to the damage caused by Hurricane Melissa, along with the contractors out of North America.

It says the Caribbean nations represented locally have also included Anguilla, Antigua, Bahamas, British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Guyana, Grenada, St Kitts, St Vincent, and Curacao.

Over 100 Caribbean linemen have been deployed to date to assist in the recovery, said JPS.

JPS has emphasized that the present stage of restoration, referred to as the “last mile” is particularly arduous, with high-intensity efforts yielding fewer customers, due to a number of factors, including the challenging nature of the terrain and the scattered populations in deep rural areas.

"The company assures all its customers and especially those awaiting power after this unprecedented natural disaster, that it remains committed to restoring them as quickly and as safely as possible."

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