Two Palmers, two painful Melissa experiences
Published:Monday | December 8, 2025 | 12:06 AMAdrian Frater/Gleaner Writer
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Western Bureau: While scores of residents were converging on the Duanvale Community Centre, in Trelawny, on Friday to collect care packages and other supplies courtesy of Pepsi, which had partnered with entities such as KFC, Pizza Hut and Wata,...
Western Bureau:
While scores of residents were converging on the Duanvale Community Centre, in Trelawny, on Friday to collect care packages and other supplies courtesy of Pepsi, which had partnered with entities such as KFC, Pizza Hut and Wata, businessman Carl Palmer was at his grocery shop reflecting on how Hurricane Melissa has upended his life.
“I suffered roof damage at my home, and inside of the house, water came in and destroyed the furniture … a lot of things got spoiled up, clothes and other things,” said Palmer, as he stared towards the monument erected for former world’s oldest woman, Violet Moss Brown, popularly known as Aunt V, which survived the wrath of Melissa unscathed, even though it was in proximity to the Frazerville Methodist Church, which was destroyed.
“I also lost the crops on my farm … banana, yam, fruit trees destroyed, coconut trees blow down, breadfruit trees blow down, orange trees,” said a crestfallen Palmer.
“To be honest with you, I have suffered over $1 million in losses. Right now, I feel trapped, I am going to need some help to rebuild, so, if I could get some assistance, I would be grateful because, while I am trying my best, I know I cannot manage on my own.”
With many residents across western Jamaica now buried under blue tarpaulin, having lost their roofs to Melissa, Palmer believes it is going to take a few years to see a return to normalcy, especially if they don’t get the help that is badly needed.
“When I analyse the situation in Duanvale, it is going to take at least a year before we start seeing any meaningful recovery here because we also have major damage in neighbouring communities like Sherwood Content and Kinloss,” added Palmer. “As for the other affected areas across western Jamaica, he believes it will take several years for full restoration.”
Despite his obvious contempt for Melissa, Palmer believes it has delivered one important life lesson to the community, the need to unite and look out for each other.
“We had no choice, but to work together after the storm to clear roads, help to repair roofs, cut down and clear fallen trees,” said Palmer. “It (Melissa) has taught us the importance of uniting and working together for the betterment of the community.”
For Clifford Palmer, the community’s unofficial historian, what Melissa did to him will be long remembered as he literally felt its wrath for 19 continuous hours, as it ripped off the roof of his house, leaving him exposed to horrifying winds and stinging rain.
“It (Melissa) treat mi de worse, it lick off mi house top, the zinc blow off completely… a suh me stand up inna it,” he said, holding his hands to his side defiantly with clenched fists, “I stand up inna it for about 19 hours, It start blow from inna de evening and one and two zinc move and then it gwaan and gwaan until daylight, it was terrible.”
With no help coming to him via the state agencies, Palmer has taken the initiative to go out and contact them himself. However, while he has got promises, no help has been forthcoming to date.
“I had to patch up the roof the best way I can, but the roof is still exposed. Right now, it nuh safe because it can cave in anytime, so me still looking help,” he said.
“To how this hurricane work, it is the worst one I have ever seen. The problem with this one, the wind come from all direction.”
Despite the dire situation at this time, Palmer said Duanvale is a community with a great history and strong cultural value, which he sees as a great reason to have it restored to its former glory. However, he doubts that the community will get the kind of attention he is hoping for, expressing his doubts philosophically.
“We the willing, led by the unknowing, are doing the impossible for the ungrateful,” he said with a resigned look on his face. “We have done so much for so long, with so little that it is now impossible to do anything with nothing.
“My hope is that we will rise again, but we just have to wait and see what plans the bigger heads have for places like Duanvale, which has so much potential, so much promise and such a rich history,” he said. “If we could get rid of some of our flaws, ignorance and grudge, I believe we can rise again.”