When Hurricane Melissa struck Jamaica in November 2025, bringing widespread destruction across the island, it was more than an international news story for the Revd Canon Janet Binns.
Born in Jamaica, with family still living there, Janet spent anxious days waiting to hear whether her loved ones were safe before travelling to the island after Christmas.
Speaking with Bishop Mary on the latest episode of the Common Ground podcast, Janet reflected on witnessing the aftermath of the hurricane, the resilience of local communities and what churches in the UK can learn from their experience.
Listen to the full episode: Spirit in the storm with Revd Canon Janet Binns
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Waiting for news
Janet had spoken to her mother shortly before the hurricane made landfall, but then communication stopped. "It took probably two days before I was able to speak with her, which was a really worrying time," Janet said.
Although her mother's home escaped major damage, many communities across western Jamaica were badly affected. Travelling across the island after Christmas, Janet was struck by the contrast between areas beginning to recover and those where the devastation remained clear.
"The trees were just long sticks in the ground. You could see for miles, whereas in the past you couldn't see very far because the trees would be there."
Farmers had lost entire crops, homes had been damaged or destroyed, and some church buildings had been left unusable.
Communities that refused to lose hope
Alongside the destruction, Janet also witnessed remarkable generosity. After fruit trees had been stripped by the storm, neighbours gathered what remained and shared it among one another.
"They all came together and shared things."
The Bishop of Oxford's Advent Appeal supported recovery through its partnership with the Diocese of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. Janet also travelled with practical supplies and visited churches across the island.
"They really appreciated having someone there on the ground. One of the things that they pointed out... each church that I went to, they'd say, 'She's one of us.'"
For Bishop Mary, that highlighted the importance of solidarity as well as practical support.
"The sort of the solidarity of 'I'm with you' feels very important," she reflected.
Faith in the midst of disaster
Where church buildings had been damaged, congregations adapted by meeting in homes and church halls. Churches organised music, shared meals and community gatherings to help lift people's spirits. Janet was struck by how naturally faith shaped people's response.
"When you say to people, 'How are you doing? How are you coping?' it would be, 'Well, you know, I'm here and I'm grateful to God that I've survived it... They still sensed that presence of God in the midst of everything that was going on."
Listening to Janet's experiences, Bishop Mary reflected on the resilience she had encountered.
"It was almost as if nature had begun to regenerate. Both nature's response and a human response was a quite resilient one. It's kind of, let's rebuild, let's put our roots down deep again and carry on."
What can we learn?
The conversation also explored the relationship between climate change and increasingly severe weather events. Returning from Jamaica, Janet found herself reflecting on what churches in the UK can do.
"How can I encourage people here in the UK to be aware of climate change in the real sense of the word? It's not just a warmer summer. It's affecting people's lives."
She believes churches have an important role in helping people understand the realities facing communities around the world and encouraging conversations about the choices we make. Bishop Mary agreed.
"Perhaps conversation is absolutely one of the key things that we need to be doing."
Looking ahead with hope
Although rebuilding will take years, Janet came away encouraged by the determination of the people she met. "They don't want this to be their identity as a country," she said. "We've done it before and we can do it again."
She also found hope in the generosity she witnessed and the faith that continued to sustain communities.
"There is a lot of hope. People are just as generous as they were previously... whatever small things they have, they're willing to share."
Listen to the full episode of Common Ground