Hurricane Melissa has left a catastrophic path of destruction throughout the Caribbean, claiming at least 32 lives as it battered Jamaica, Haiti, and Cuba. Initially a Category 5 storm, it has since been downgraded to a Category 1 but continues to gain momentum as it moves towards Bermuda.
This hurricane has set a grim record as the most powerful to ever hit the Caribbean in recorded history, with peak wind speeds reaching an astonishing 298 km/h (185 mph), surpassing even Hurricane Katrina’s intensity. The US National Hurricane Centre reported sustained winds of 165 km/h on Thursday morning.
Authorities have issued warnings of potential coastal flooding across the affected islands as the storm accelerates. While hurricane warnings have been lifted for some areas in the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos, residents are urged to remain vigilant, as even a weakened hurricane can inflict severe damage.
The Bahamas has undertaken one of its largest-ever evacuation operations, moving nearly 1,500 people from vulnerable areas. Although some parts of the archipelago have experienced flooding, major tourist destinations like Nassau and Freeport remain largely unaffected and open to visitors.
Across the Caribbean, Melissa’s fierce winds have torn through homes and buildings, toppled trees, and left tens of thousands without power. In Cuba, the city of Santiago de Cuba is working to clear streets buried under debris, with the president acknowledging significant damage.
Jamaica has also been severely impacted, particularly in the southwestern parish of St Elizabeth, where knee-deep mud and washed-out bridges have isolated towns like Black River. While the capital, Kingston, saw less damage, the storm’s effects are visible with damaged structures and debris scattered throughout the landscape.
Communication networks in Jamaica are largely down, leaving many families unable to contact loved ones in the hardest-hit regions. In one harrowing account, a relative had to walk 15 miles to report a death.
Haiti, already facing a humanitarian crisis, has reported at least 23 fatalities, including 10 children, primarily due to severe flooding from days of heavy rain, even though the country was spared a direct hit.
Officials have confirmed at least eight deaths in Jamaica and one in the Dominican Republic attributed to the hurricane. The National Hurricane Centre anticipates that floodwaters in the Bahamas will recede by Thursday, but hazardous conditions are expected to persist in Cuba, Jamaica, and Hispaniola for several days.
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