When Hurricane Melissa tore through southern Jamaica last October, it didn’t merely damage buildings in Black River — it erased livelihoods overnight. Among those hardest hit was long-time merchant Joan Palmer, whose High Street business had anchored her family’s income for more than twenty years.
By the time the Category 5 system made landfall on October 28, Palmer’s shop stood no chance. The force of the storm smashed through the glass frontage, allowing floodwaters from both sea and river to rush in unchecked. Inventory was carried out by the surge, fixtures were destroyed, and whatever remained was rendered unsalvageable. Only a handful of items stored upstairs escaped the water.
The damage ran into the millions. Worse still, access roads were blocked by debris the following morning, delaying any immediate response. When Palmer finally reached the site, the business she had built over decades lay flattened.
The closure was permanent. Three employees lost their jobs, and the ripple effects extended well beyond the storefront. Palmer’s rented home in Black River suffered extensive damage, wiping out furniture and personal belongings. Her husband’s furniture operation and her son’s phone business — both located nearby — were also devastated. The storm dismantled an entire family’s economic base in a single night.
Emotionally, the toll was heavy. Financially, the road back looked uncertain. Yet within weeks, Palmer made a decisive move. Operations were relocated to Junction, St Elizabeth, where space was secured through family support. It was not a restoration — it was a restart.
The early days were slow, but momentum followed. Customers from Black River, left with limited shopping options, sought her out. Suppliers stepped in where possible, extending credit and donating stock to help restock shelves. Gradually, cash flow returned.
Critical to the recovery was access to structured financial support. As a long-standing small business client, Palmer was able to restructure existing obligations and secure additional financing to stabilise operations and rebuild inventory. The approach wasn’t just transactional — it was corrective, designed to give the business breathing room while it found its footing again.
Today, the Junction location is operational, and trade is improving. The scale is different, the environment new, but the business is alive.
Palmer’s experience underscores a hard truth about natural disasters: small enterprises are often one storm away from collapse. But it also highlights what determines survival — speed of decision-making, access to capital, supplier relationships, and the willingness to start again without nostalgia.
Her advice to other entrepreneurs facing crisis is blunt and practical: don’t disappear, don’t assume it’s over, and don’t carry the burden alone. Engage creditors early. Ask for help. Rebuild with intention.
The storm took the building. It didn’t take the operator.
