Hurricane Melissa has left a trail of devastation and death across the Caribbean, cementing its place as one of the most powerful Atlantic storms in over 150 years. Torrential rains and forceful winds unleashed widespread destruction in Jamaica, Cuba, and the Bahamas. While the confirmed death toll stands at at least 30 people, officials warn the final count will take days or weeks to determine.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!As the Category 5 storm heads toward Bermuda early Thursday, emergency teams are struggling to clear roads and reach isolated communities in need of critical relief.
Path of Unprecedented Power
Fueled by hotter-than-average waters and prime atmospheric conditions, Melissa underwent rapid intensification. It jumped from a $70 \text{ mph}$ tropical storm on Saturday morning to a $140 \text{ mph}$ Category 4 by Sunday morning.
By Tuesday, Melissa had peaked as a high-end Category 5 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of $185 \text{ mph}$. This intensity ties it with other hurricanes as the second-strongest storm recorded in the Atlantic since 1851.
- Jamaica: Melissa slammed into the coast on Tuesday as a Category 5 storm, which the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) called a “catastrophic” situation.
- Cuba: Overnight Tuesday into Wednesday, it crossed into eastern Cuba, making landfall as a formidable Category 3 hurricane in the province of Santiago de Cuba.
- The Bahamas: By Wednesday, it was downgraded to a Category 1, but its massive wind field continued to drive dangerous storm surge and torrential flooding.
Over 735,000 people were evacuated in Cuba alone as the storm approached.
Widespread Destruction and Loss of Life
The scope of the disaster is enormous across the affected islands, which also included Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
- Jamaica: Prime Minister Andrew Holness traveled to the hardest-hit areas and declared the country a disaster area. Officials in the southwest city of Black River called the damage “catastrophic.” Around $77\%$ of the country lost electricity, and the national infrastructure was described as “severely compromised.” Four bodies have been recovered in St. Elizabeth Parish.
- Haiti: In the already beleaguered nation, 23 people died and 13 are missing, with $20$ deaths—including $10$ children—occurring when a flooded river in Petit-Goâve burst its banks.
International Relief Mobilizes
Recovery efforts are underway, with international support already being launched:
- United States: President Donald Trump authorized an “immediate US response,” deploying a Disaster Assistance Response Team to provide search, rescue, and recovery assistance.
- United Kingdom: Pledging £2.5 million ($3.3 million) in emergency humanitarian funding.
- China: Sent hundreds of boxes labeled as “family kit.”
The Jamaican government has also launched an official website to share updates on flooding, blocked roads, and shelter locations for those affected.
