Hurricane Melissa has left a trail of devastation across the Caribbean, destroying homes and infrastructure, flooding communities, and claiming dozens of lives as it continues its path northward.
Jamaica bore the brunt of the Category 5 storm earlier this week, suffering what Prime Minister Andrew Holness described as “total devastation.” At least five people have been confirmed dead, and widespread power outages and flooding have left many stranded on rooftops.
“Eighty to ninety percent of roofs were destroyed,” Holness said, noting severe damage to hospitals, libraries, police stations, and other public buildings.
In Haiti, at least 20 people, including 10 children, were reported dead after flash floods and landslides swept through the country’s southern and coastal regions. More than 3,000 residents have been displaced, and homes and crops have been destroyed, according to local authorities.
King Charles, Jamaica’s head of state, expressed deep concern over the disaster, saying the record-breaking storm “reminds us of the urgent need to restore balance and harmony with nature.”
After battering Jamaica, Melissa moved north towards Cuba as a Category 3 hurricane, bringing winds of up to 115 mph and torrential rain. Cuba’s President Miguel Díaz-Canel urged residents to remain vigilant, saying the country had prepared for a worst-case scenario.
Witnesses described terrifying scenes as the storm ripped through the region. “It sounded like a tornado,” said Rovier Mesa Rodríguez, a resident of Santiago de Cuba. In Jamaica, entire neighborhoods were flattened, with debris and fallen foliage strewn across roads.
The hurricane is now moving northeast toward The Bahamas, where dangerous storm surges and heavy rainfall are expected. Tropical storm warnings have been issued for the Turks and Caicos Islands as Melissa’s forward speed is projected to increase in the coming days.
The United States has dispatched a disaster response team to Jamaica and is coordinating assistance with Haiti and The Bahamas following formal requests for aid.
Although Melissa is not expected to make landfall in North America, meteorologists warn it will remain a powerful extratropical cyclone as it nears St. John’s, Newfoundland, on Friday night.
