The last photo of my grandma, my mum, and me.

My name is Siobhan Totterdale. My grandmother has just lived through the unthinkable.

While she was in London attending my mum’s funeral, grieving the loss of her first child, Hurricane Melissa, the worst storm Jamaica has seen since Hurricane Gilbert, tore through Montego Bay and destroyed her home of 40+ years.

Flooding from the hurricane filled the entire house with mud and water.

When my uncle measured the level against her height on the veranda, the water would have reached my grandma’s neck, had she been there. Inside, several rooms were completely inaccessible, buried under three inches of mud.

My uncle has been working every day since returning to Jamaica to clear the house. So far, around 70–75% of the mud has been removed from the bedrooms, bathrooms, living room, dining room, and part of the kitchen. They only just managed to force access into the third bedroom.

Everything inside has been damaged or destroyed — including:

The entire house will need repainting and repairs once the mud removal is complete.

This isn’t just a house.

It’s the home my grandmother has lived in for decades, the same home where I lived as a baby, surrounded by furniture and keepsakes that have been in our family ever since. Now, all of it is water-damaged beyond repair.

She’s the kind of person who always looks after others, especially the elderly neighbours and children in her community. Now she has nothing left. After draining her savings to be in London for my mum’s final days, she has no way to rebuild her home.

We’re calling this Operation Home Restoration.

Estimated Costs (and What We Know So Far)

Our initial estimate for repairs and replacements was around £12,000, based on local prices for furniture, appliances, paint, and labour. However, since my uncle began sourcing materials and replacement items in Montego Bay, it has become clear that prices have increased significantly. The widespread damage across the parish has created shortages and high demand, pushing the overall cost far higher than expected.

Because of this, the total cost to restore my grandmother’s home is now expected to be closer to £20,000.

This figure is still an estimate. The true cost will depend on what professionals find once the house is fully cleared and assessed. We’re still waiting for contractors to confirm the extent of the damage, including whether any structural repairs will be needed after the flooding.

As soon as professional assessments and quotes are available, this page will be updated with the details so everyone can see exactly where the funds are going.

How the funds will be used:

If we raise more than she needs, any extra funds will go towards helping neighbours in the parish who were also affected by Hurricane Melissa.

A large part of Jamaica has been severely affected by this hurricane, with powerlines down, homes destroyed, roads damaged, and essential infrastructure still struggling to be restored. Support from the British government, who ruled Jamaica for centuries and whose wealth was built on the lives and labour of enslaved people, has been extremely limited. The small amount sent so far (£7.5m for the whole island) does not begin to match the scale of the crisis or what Jamaica receives in comparison to other countries facing disasters of the same magnitude. My grandma is only one of the many people affected, but her home has been a safe haven for neighbours and anyone in need for over forty years. Any extra funds raised will go towards helping others in her community who are also trying to rebuild their lives.

Thank you so much for reading, donating, or sharing.

Every bit of help brings my grandma one step closer to having a safe home again.