Hurricane Melissa swept through the northern Caribbean after making landfall in Cuba’s second-largest city on Wednesday, cutting off hundreds of rural communities, causing widespread devastation in Jamaica, and bringing torrential rains to Haiti. At least 33 people have died, and it has caused an estimated $8 billion in damage, according to Bloomberg.
Hurricane Melissa Update
Across the Caribbean, Hurricane Melissa’s powerful winds have destroyed homes and buildings, blocked roads, trapped people on rooftops, and caused widespread power outages. Airports in Jamaica were closed, stranding approximately 25,000 tourists, while authorities warned residents about the potential threat from crocodiles displaced by the storm.
The AP, citing Haiti’s Civil Protection Agency, reported that at least 25 people died in Haiti, while 18 others are reported missing. In one southern coastal town, flooding destroyed dozens of homes, resulting in 20 deaths and 10 missing people. Meanwhile, at least 8 people have died in Jamaica.
Meanwhile, according to the New York Times, all international tourists in Jamaica are safe. Senior State Department officials said that more than 8,200 U.S. citizens are registered in Jamaica and other affected countries through a federal travel system. However, the actual number of Americans in the region is likely higher.
“This was massive devastation. It was a very slow-moving, very wet storm,” said Chuck Watson, a disaster modeler at Enki Research. Bloomberg reported that a faster-moving storm would have caused far less damage.
According to Reuters, Melissa made landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday as the most powerful storm to ever hit the island directly, with sustained winds of 185 miles per hour (298 km/h), well exceeding the threshold for a Category 5 hurricane, the highest level on the hurricane scale. Officials said Wednesday that Elon Musk’s Starlink is providing satellite assistance to help restore connectivity for people in Jamaica after damage to the communications infrastructure.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer told the House of Commons on Wednesday that the UK had already deployed a Royal Navy ship and specialist rapid deployment teams to the region and was ready to provide Jamaica with “full support.” He added, “The scenes of devastation coming out of Jamaica are truly shocking.”
US weather forecasting company AccuWeather reported that Melissa was the third strongest hurricane on record in the Caribbean and also one of the slowest-moving, which contributed to its destructive impact.
According to a Reuters report, the Jamaican government has issued an “all clear” to begin rescue operations but also announced that emergency shelters for those whose homes have been damaged will remain open throughout the week.
Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie said that more than 25,000 people had taken refuge in shelters, emphasizing, “No one should be turned away from a shelter.”
(With agency inputs)