S3 Ep 1: Hurricane People
In October 2025, Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica as the strongest storm ever to hit the island. Forty-five people were killed, thousands were left homeless, and the town of Black River was almost completely destroyed. But Jamaica had spent years preparing. After a catastrophe bond failed to trigger during Hurricane Beryl the year before, critics asked whether Jamaica had bought the wrong insurance. This time, the bond paid out $150 million, and the country mobilised over $660 million in total. What does it take to build that kind of protection — and is it enough as storms get stronger? In this episode of Counter Crisis, Jeevan Vasagar is joined by Keenan Falconer, Mikol Mortley and Ron Jackson. Available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Counter Crisis is brought to you by the Centre for Disaster Protection, which helps countries find better ways to manage disaster risk – protecting lives, livelihoods, and economies before crisis strikes. Follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.
