**Life After Hurricane Melissa: A Jamaican Host’s Story**
This as-told-to essay is based on a Wednesday evening conversation with Jordan Senior, 36, a rental-property owner and operator in Treasure Beach, Jamaica. It has been edited for length and clarity.
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I’m family with most people in Treasure Beach, Jamaica. I’ve lived here for years, working in the hospitality industry running short-term rentals. As a Jamaican local, I’m no stranger to hurricanes. I was here during Hurricane Ivan, and I was also here for Beryl in 2024. During Beryl, I lost the roof on my home.
When Hurricane Melissa approached, the authorities warned us it would be a Category Five hurricane. They said, “We’ve never had a hurricane like this before. It’s going to wreck the place. Prepare, prepare, prepare.” The stress was real.
When Melissa finally arrived, it wasn’t the worst hurricane I’ve lived through, but it was definitely rough. I sheltered at home with my wife as the wind and rain battered everything outside. Through our windows, all we saw was a white spray of water everywhere.
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### Assessing the Damage: Cashaw Cabin
After the storm died down, I took stock of my rental cabin—the primary source of my income. It’s just a short distance from my home, and the flooding around it was the worst I’ve ever seen.
I built Cashaw Cabin, a one-bedroom A-frame with a private pool, five minutes from Treasure Beach, back in 2022. It opened for business in 2023. I invested about $40,000 into the property. The cabin features a small kitchenette, a full bathroom, a patio, back garden, and a plunge pool—perfect for two people.
Across the year, Cashaw Cabin is booked about 15 to 20 nights a month. From mid-November to May, it’s almost fully booked every night. I rent it for approximately $115 to $150 per night depending on the season, via platforms like Airbnb, Booking.com, and Expedia.
Apart from my photography gig, this cabin is my main source of income, earning me around $30,000 yearly. Guests often describe it as “rustic chic,” saying it feels like they’re on an island all to themselves.
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### The Aftermath of Hurricane Melissa
After Melissa, the cabin looked as if it had been submerged in the sea. Flooding reached up to my knees, making it impossible to enter. The landscaping was completely wiped out.
The water is slowly receding, so for now, all I can do is wait and see. But I don’t expect to reopen for guests for at least a month and a half—possibly not until January. Airbnb has canceled my bookings. I understand—they have to protect guests—but when cancellations happen months after a storm, it hurts the hosts. We’re left with no earnings to look forward to.
I’m trying to get the cabin ready to host again as soon as possible.
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### Setbacks to a New Property
I was using earnings from Cashaw Cabin to partly fund another project—a two-bedroom villa that was nearly ready to open. If not for the hurricane, it would’ve been operational within weeks.
This villa, along with two other properties I’m building, has cost me about $60,000 so far. I’ve funded this through savings and a family investor.
Unfortunately, the villa was largely destroyed. The frame is still standing, but the roof is gone, and something hit a wall, smashing it up badly. Now, all that work will have to be redone.
The money I intended for finishing touches and launching the villa will now be spent on repairs. I’ll have to dip even further into my savings.
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### Looking Ahead
Physically, I’m okay. Mentally, I’m exhausted.
Representatives for Airbnb, Booking.com, and Expedia did not respond to Business Insider’s requests for comment. According to Airbnb’s major disruptive events policy, hurricanes in the Caribbean Sea are among the “most common foreseeable weather events.” Affected hosts can cancel reservations without penalty.
In a press release issued Wednesday, Airbnb announced it would offer free emergency housing for Hurricane Melissa first responders in affected Caribbean countries, including Jamaica.
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For now, like many in Treasure Beach, I’m focused on recovery and rebuilding. It’s a slow process, but life here—and my work—must go on.
https://www.businessinsider.com/hurricane-melissa-jamaica-rental-cabin-knee-deep-floodwaters-2025-10
