VINLEC Linemen Are In Jamaica To Help Restore Power After Melissa

By Admin. Updated 5:36 p.m., Monday, 17 November 2025, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).

In a demonstration of genuine regional solidarity, linemen from St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) have travelled to Jamaica to aid in the restoration of the country’s power system following the passage of Hurricane Melissa.

The team from the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Electricity Services Limited (VINLEC) departed SVG on Wednesday, 12 November 2025.

Bria King, VINLEC’s Communication Officer, informed One News SVG that VINLEC’s assistance is being provided through the CARILEC Disaster Assistance programme.

There are six linemen from SVG currently working alongside other regional partners in the restoration efforts following Hurricane Melissa, she added.

VINLEC is the sole commercial electricity supplier in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica on 28 October 2025, striking the southwestern coast as a catastrophic Category 5 storm. It was the strongest hurricane to ever make a direct hit on the island in recorded history.

The storm’s impact left thousands without power.

In a Facebook post on 16 November, the Jamaica Public Service (JPS) Company Limited, the sole electricity distributor on the island, said:

The “Backbone” of its power system (the transmission network that moves electricity across the island) was extensively damaged, especially in the west.

“We cannot simply repair it; we have to rebuild it to get supply to you. Progress is Happening: Despite this massive challenge, we are finding ways to get communities online. We have successfully energized key areas in Falmouth, Santa Cruz, and Montego Bay, prioritising hospitals, water pumps, and town centres first.”

The company stated it has ‘All Hands on Deck’. “This rebuild is difficult, but we are up to the task. We now have over 600 line workers on the ground — including over 300 from our international partners — and we’ve brought in 60+ additional bucket trucks.”

In 2024, a number of regional linemen were deployed to the Southern Grenadines in St. Vincent and the Grenadines to assist with restoring the electrical distribution network, which was devastated by Hurricane Beryl.

END