Surviving Jamaica’s Extended Drought: Essential Steps to Take Now

Why Is It Happening?

Prolonged El Niño events and record-high sea surface temperatures are disrupting regional rainfall patterns across the Caribbean. As a result, Jamaica’s traditional wet seasons (typically in May and October) are delivering significantly less rain than normal. Without this rainfall, aquifers, reservoirs, and rivers cannot recharge, pushing the island into severe hydrological and agricultural drought.

Here is what you need to know about how this crisis impacts your health, home and garden, and the immediate steps you can take to protect your family.

The Challenges: Health, Home and Garden

When severe dry spells hit, the effects on everyday life are immediate, especially for health and sanitation. Storing untreated water in open containers leads to bacterial growth, causing spikes in illnesses such as gastroenteritis. These open drums also invite Aedes aegypti mosquitoes to breed, raising the risk of Dengue fever. Water scarcity often results in less handwashing, contributing to more skin infections, while dusty air aggravates asthma and sinus problems.

These disruptions affect both daily routines and home finances. Unpredictable NWC lock-offs and low pipe pressure force families to schedule basic chores around water availability, often driving up expenses as people buy bottled water or hire private water trucks. As surrounding brush dries out in the heat, the danger of domestic fires also increases.

Out in the yard, home gardens take a direct hit. Parched soil quickly wilts backyard crops and fruit trees, cutting off local harvests. On top of that, strict prohibition orders ban hose usage for lawns, cars, and pools, leaving household greenery to survive the heat on its own.

Fortunately, you do not have to weather the drought unprepared. Here are some smart ways to lessen the impact:

Health & Hygiene Preparedness

• Store Water Safely: Use food-grade, heavy-duty plastic drums or tanks. Always fit them with tight-fitting covers or fine wire mesh to stop mosquitoes from laying eggs.
• Treat Non-Tap Water: If you collect water from springs, rivers, or unverified water trucks, purify it before drinking, cooking, or brushing your teeth.

• Boiling: Bring water to a rolling boil for at least 1 full minute.
• Disinfection: Add 2 drops of regular household liquid bleach (unscented) per 1 litre of clear water, mix well, and let it stand for 30 minutes before use.
• Water Purification Tablets: Drop chlorine dioxide or iodine tablets into the water according to the manufacturer's instructions, mix thoroughly, and allow it to sit for the recommended time (usually 30 minutes) before consuming. 

• Keep First-Aid & Hygiene Supplies Ready: Keep hand sanitizers (at least 60% alcohol), rehydration salts (ORS), and anti-diarrheal medications stocked in your medicine cabinet.

Home Water Conservation

• Fix Leaks Immediately: A dripping tap or leaking toilet tank can waste hundreds of gallons of water every week.
• Adopt "Dry" Habits: Turn off the tap while brushing teeth or soaping hands. Limit showers to short "soap-and-rinse" routines.
• Recycle Greywater: Save rinse water from laundry or vegetable washing to flush toilets or water potted plants.

Garden & Farm Resilience

• Mulch Generously: Cover soil around food plants with dry grass, leaves, or wood chips to retain soil moisture and reduce evaporation.
• Water Efficiently: Use watering cans instead of hoses, and water plants early in the morning (before 8 a.m.) or late in the evening to minimize evaporation losses.
• Plant Drought-Tolerant Crops: Focus your backyard garden on hardy local crops like cassava, sweet potato, pineapple, and pigeon peas that require minimal water to thrive.

At Deans Pharmacy, your community’s health is our top priority. Stop by our counter for water purification tablets, rehydration salts, skin moisturizers, and expert advice on keeping your family healthy throughout the dry season.

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