Post by : Rameen Ariff

Hurricane Melissa, one of the strongest storms ever recorded in the Caribbean, began to dissipate on Friday after causing widespread devastation across Jamaica, Haiti, and Cuba. The storm, which reached Category 5 status at landfall in Jamaica, has left at least 50 people dead and thousands more affected by flooding, power outages, and destruction.

Melissa made history as the most powerful hurricane to directly hit Jamaica, and the first major hurricane to do so since 1988. The storm slammed into southwestern Jamaica on Tuesday with ferocious winds exceeding the Category 5 minimum threshold, devastating communities already vulnerable after last year’s Hurricane Beryl. Jamaica’s Information Minister confirmed at least 19 deaths, with expectations that more bodies may be recovered in the coming days. Around 462,000 residents remain without electricity, and emergency food distribution efforts have begun across the island.

In Haiti, where Melissa’s impact was primarily heavy rainfall rather than direct landfall, at least 31 people have died and 20 remain missing following severe flooding. The southern town of Petit-Goave suffered the most, with a river bursting its banks and causing the deaths of 23 individuals, including 10 children. The floods also damaged homes, farmlands, and infrastructure. Officials are now warning of the potential spread of cholera, a disease that resurged in Haiti in 2022, due to contaminated water sources caused by the flooding.

Cuba, hit by Melissa as a Category 3 hurricane, has reported no deaths so far but experienced significant damage to homes, roads, and crops. Hundreds of thousands were evacuated, especially from eastern Cuba and near Santiago de Cuba, the country’s second-largest city.

Jamaica’s local government minister, Desmond McKenzie, described the damage in some areas as catastrophic. In the port town of Falmouth alone, key buildings including the municipal building, courthouse, infirmary, and roads department were completely destroyed. Communications were knocked out in five of Jamaica’s 14 parishes, compounding the challenges of rescue and relief operations.

Humanitarian aid flights began arriving in Jamaica on Thursday, with the military calling on reserve forces to assist in the emergency response. Brian Bogart, director of the World Food Programme’s Caribbean office, described the scene in Black River as “apocalyptic,” comparing the devastation to the aftermath of a bomb explosion.

Residents like Pamella Foster, who lost her home in Black River, expressed shock but vowed to survive. “The pain, it’s like your heart, your stomach just bursts. It’s just too much,” she said.

Meteorologists noted that Melissa was the third most intense hurricane ever observed in the Caribbean and its slow movement worsened the damage by prolonging exposure to heavy rains and strong winds. Scientists attribute the increasing frequency and intensity of such hurricanes to rising ocean temperatures linked to climate change. This has led many Caribbean leaders to call on wealthier nations responsible for the majority of greenhouse gas emissions to provide financial aid and debt relief to help the region recover.

By 11 a.m. GMT on Friday, Melissa had weakened to a post-tropical cyclone with sustained winds of 85 mph (137 kph), moving northeast towards Iceland and the Faroe Islands, ending its destructive path in the Caribbean.

As recovery efforts begin, the focus remains on helping those displaced, restoring critical infrastructure, and preventing further health crises triggered by the storm’s aftermath. The impact of Hurricane Melissa serves as a stark reminder of the growing threat posed by climate change to vulnerable island nations.

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