Santiago de Cuba: Satellite images have revealed the extensive devastation wrought by Hurricane Melissa across Jamaica, Cuba, and Haiti. The catastrophic storm, which tore through the Caribbean islands on Tuesday, has left dozens dead and caused widespread destruction, with roofless homes, fallen utility poles, and waterlogged furniture dominating the landscape.
A landslide has blocked the main roads of Santa Cruz in Jamaica’s St Elizabeth parish, transforming streets into mud pits. Residents have been seen sweeping water from their homes, desperately trying to salvage belongings. The hurricane’s fierce winds also ripped off part of the roof at a high school, which had been designated as a public shelter.
“I’ve never seen anything like this before in all my years living here,” said Jennifer Small, a resident of the affected area.
Hurricane Melissa’s Path of Destruction
Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica as a catastrophic Category 5 storm with top winds of 295 km/h, marking it as one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record. Although it weakened as it moved towards Cuba, the storm’s massive size meant that even countries outside its direct path felt its devastating effects.
In Haiti, the storm’s flooding claimed at least 25 lives in the southern coastal town of Petit-Goave. According to Mayor Jean Bertrand Subrème, dozens of homes collapsed when the La Digue River burst its banks, leaving many people trapped under rubble. The situation was dire, with only one official from Haiti’s Civil Protection Agency present as residents struggled to evacuate amid heavy floodwaters.
Meanwhile, in Cuba, officials have reported collapsed houses, blocked mountain roads, and roofs blown off, with the heaviest destruction concentrated in the southwest and northwest. Authorities have stated that about 735,000 people remain in shelters.
“That was hell. All night long, it was terrible,” said Reinaldo Charon, a resident of Santiago de Cuba, as he ventured out into the aftermath covered by a plastic sheet in the intermittent rain.
Jamaica Faces Enormous Economic Losses
In Jamaica, more than 25,000 people sought refuge in shelters on Wednesday, with more arriving throughout the day after the storm rendered them temporarily homeless. Dana Morris Dixon, Jamaica’s education minister, reported that 77 percent of the island was without power.
Jamaica’s economic losses could reach almost $US8 billion, according to Chuck Watson, a disaster modeller at Enki Research. This amount represents about 35 percent of the island’s gross domestic product, surpassing the $6 billion toll inflicted by Hurricane Gilbert in 1988.
“It was widespread destruction,” Watson told Bloomberg. “This was a very slow, very wet storm,” he added, noting that a faster-moving storm would have caused much less damage.
Richard Thompson, acting director general of Jamaica’s Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management, highlighted complications in assessing the damage due to power cuts causing “a total communication blackout” in some areas.
“It’s not going to be an easy road,” said Desmond McKenzie, deputy chairperson of Jamaica’s Disaster Risk Management Council.
In a statement, Prime Minister Andrew Holness reassured Jamaicans, especially those in the hard-hit west, that the government was racing to provide assistance. “We know many of you are hurting, uncertain, and anxious after Hurricane Melissa, but please know that you are not alone,” he said.
Cuba and Haiti: Struggling to Recover
In Cuba, residents have begun clearing debris around their homes in Santiago de Cuba province, where Hurricane Melissa made landfall. Local media have shown images of severe damage to infrastructure, including the Juan Bruno Zayas Clinical Hospital.
Governor Yanetsy Terry Gutiérrez reported that parts of Granma province, especially the municipal capital Jiguani, were underwater, with more than 40 centimeters of rain recorded in some areas. The hurricane could exacerbate Cuba’s severe economic crisis, which has already led to prolonged power blackouts and shortages of fuel and food.
“There will be a lot of work to do. We know there will be a lot of damage,” Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said in a televised address.
In Haiti, the situation remains critical as rescue efforts continue in affected areas. The United States has announced it will send rescue and response teams to assist recovery efforts in the Caribbean, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio coordinating with leadership in Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and the Bahamas.
Looking Ahead: The Storm’s Continuing Impact
As of Thursday morning, the storm was located 130 kilometers southeast of the central Bahamas, moving northeast at 26 km/h. Melissa’s maximum sustained winds were 150 km/h, classifying it as a Category 1 storm. The storm is expected to move through the southeastern Bahamas, generating up to 2 meters of storm surge in the area, before passing just west of Bermuda.
The governments of the affected countries are working tirelessly to restore normalcy and provide relief to those impacted by Hurricane Melissa. The reopening of Jamaica’s airports is anticipated as early as Thursday to facilitate the rapid distribution of emergency relief supplies.
The road to recovery will be long and challenging, but the resilience and determination of the Caribbean people remain strong as they begin to rebuild their lives in the aftermath of this devastating storm.
