The Virgin Islands is hosting national disaster management coordinators and regional hazard experts for the 17th meeting of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency’s Technical Advisory Committee, officials said. The meeting brings together representatives from 20 participating states, including Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, the Cayman Islands, the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, the Republic of Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Lucia, St. Maarten, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and the Virgin Islands.

Sharleen DaBreo-Lettsome, who serves as chair of the committee from April 2026 to April 2027, said the meeting is intended to strengthen regional resilience through coordinated disaster management planning.

“Caribbean peoples and states rely on each other for comprehensive disaster management support through CDEMA mechanisms such as the TAC,” Mrs. DaBreo-Lettsome said. “This approach of regional cooperation makes us more self-sufficient because we are in a position to better anticipate and respond to all kinds of risks.”

Mrs. DaBreo-Lettsome said that improving coordination is necessary as hazards become more complex and frequent, adding that adjustments to existing strategies will be a focus of the meeting.

“We have a strong regional strategy and are moving in the right direction, but this year’s meeting will help make adjustments to account for a hazard landscape that is changing by the day,” she said.

Jasen Penn, the Virgin Islands’ director of disaster management, said the discussions will include updates to the regional comprehensive disaster management plan, as well as reviews of CDEMA’s programs and activities at both regional and national levels.

“This is an opportunity for all the participating states to advocate for our individual needs, and to share what we have learned from recent incidents and hazard impacts,” Mr. Penn said.

Officials said the meeting is part of ongoing efforts to improve collaboration among Caribbean states in preparing for and responding to natural hazards and emergencies.

Two civilian vessels, including one flying the flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis, were struck by what Ukrainian officials described as Russian military-style drones in the Black Sea, killing one crew member and injuring others, Ukrainian authorities and maritime sources said.

The strikes occurred near Ukraine’s Odesa region as the ships traveled in designated maritime corridors for commercial traffic, according to Ukraine’s Operational Command South. One of the vessels was heading to the Ukrainian port of Chornomorsk to load grain for export when it was hit.

A Syrian national aboard the Saint Kitts and Nevis-flagged vessel died as a result of the attack, and several crew members sustained injuries, Ukrainian officials reported. Details about the second vessel, including its flag and exact route, were not immediately disclosed.

The incident marks one of several reported attacks on civilian shipping in the Black Sea since the outbreak of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Maritime authorities and industry groups have raised concerns about the safety of commercial vessels operating in or near conflict zones.

Ukrainian officials reaffirmed calls for strengthened international protections for civilian maritime traffic. The International Maritime Organization and other global shipping bodies have previously issued advisories urging heightened caution for vessels transiting the Black Sea.

Russia’s Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment. It has, in past incidents, generally denied responsibility for attacks that have affected commercial shipping or attributed such events to other causes.

The attack occurs against the backdrop of ongoing hostilities between Russian and Ukrainian forces, as both sides contend with strategic control of key coastal and maritime areas. The incident may prompt further discussions within the shipping industry and among foreign ministries regarding insurance and risk mitigation for vessels operating in the region.

Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness announced that Hurricane Melissa caused damage equivalent to 28 %-32 % of the nation’s 2024 gross domestic product, with short-term output projected to fall between 8 %-13 %, sending ripples across the Caribbean region.

Jamaica experienced catastrophic damage when Melissa made landfall as a Category 5 storm on Oct. 28, 2025. The storm’s impact on homes, infrastructure and crops left an estimated 5 million tonnes of debris in western Jamaica, according to the United Nations Development Programme, and triggered fears of food-supply shortages.

For the British Virgin Islands and other smaller Caribbean jurisdictions, the scale of Jamaica’s losses underscores vulnerabilities shared across the region—particularly how extreme weather events, tourism declines and infrastructure damage can compound economic risks.

Tourism, trade and investment flows in the Caribbean are deeply interconnected. The Jamaica crisis may lead to reduced regional airline traffic, delayed cruise calls, and upward pressure on insurance and reconstruction costs—factors that could influence the BVI’s economy directly.

Holness emphasised that Jamaica will temporarily suspend its fiscal rules, seek regional and international financial support, and rebuild with greater resilience: “Every repaired bridge, re-roofed home and rebuilt road must be designed for the storms of tomorrow, not the storms of yesterday.”

Experts warn that as warming ocean temperatures drive more intense hurricanes, islands like the BVI must sharpen preparedness—covering early warning systems, climate-proofing infrastructure and regional cooperation on relief funds and insurance frameworks.

The lesson for the BVI: the ripple effects from Jamaica illustrate that regional shocks cannot be viewed in isolation. If disaster strikes one island, the tourism supply chain, aviation connectivity and shared insurance markets make all Caribbean states vulnerable.