Dry Up: Jamaica Faces Worst Drought in 2026
Dry Up: Jamaica Faces Worst Drought in 2026
KINGSTON, Jamaica — If you think the sun hot now, wait till you see what coming. The National Water Commission (NWC) is warning that Jamaica is heading into one of the worst droughts in recent memory, with 2026 shaping up to be a parched year from hell.
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Starting March, water levels at the Hermitage Dam in St Andrew have dropped to just 38% capacity — that's more than 20% lower than the same time last year. And it not looking pretty for the rest of the island either. The Rio Cobre in St Catherine is running low, and the Great River in Westmoreland is barely a trickle in some parts.
NWC spokesman Mark Johnson tell HowJamaica that the situation is serious. “We are asking all Jamaicans to please conserve water. Don't waste a drop. We have already started trucking water to several communities in St Elizabeth, Clarendon, and parts of Kingston,” he said.
But the drought isn't just affecting people in their homes. Farmers are feeling the pinch too. In St Elizabeth, breadbasket of the island, onion and scallion farmers say they losing crops left and right because irrigation ponds dry up fast.
Miss Patricia Brown, a farmer in Bull Savannah, St Elizabeth, tell HowJamaica: “Mi plant two acre a onion, but di sun hot like fire and di water gone. If rain nuh fall inna next two week, mi lose everything. Mi nuh know how mi a go feed mi pickney dem.”
And it not just agriculture. Tourism operators in Negril and Montego Bay are cutting back on water use. Some hotels already asking guests to reuse towels and limit shower time. One hotel manager in Negril say they now trucking in water from a private supplier twice a week just to keep the pools full.
According to the Meteorological Service, this drought is linked to a strong La Niña pattern that pushing the rainfall away from the Caribbean. They say the dry spell could last until June, or even later if the pattern don't break.
So what can you do? Here's some practical advice: Fix any leaking pipes or taps in your yard. Collect rainwater if you have a tank. Use a bucket to wash your car instead of a hose. And store water in clean containers for emergencies. Every drop count, mi bredren.
We will keep you updated as the situation develop. But for now, stay cool, stay smart, and please, don't waste water.
