Hurricane Melissa’s Devastation: An Aerial Look at Jamaica’s ‘Ground Zero’

Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 storm, one of the most powerful ever recorded in the Caribbean, has left a trail of devastation across Jamaica. BBC correspondent Will Grant took an aid helicopter flight over the town of Black River, offering a stark aerial view of the ‘ground zero’ destruction. The storm, which made landfall on Tuesday, has been devastating, with reports of at least 28 fatalities in Jamaica alone, and significant damage flattening communities along the coast. In western Jamaica, the impact is particularly severe, with roads blocked by debris and many residents isolated, facing critical shortages of food, power, and clean water. The hurricane’s destructive path also extended to Haiti, where it claimed at least 31 lives, and the Dominican Republic, with at least two reported deaths. This report provides an unflinching look at the immediate aftermath and the scale of the crisis.

More on Hurricane Melissa:

• ‘No inch here was spared’: Hurricane Melissa destroys Jamaica town
• Jamaica’s ‘ground zero’ – Assessing hurricane damage in Black River
• Hurricane Melissa drone footage shows destroyed homes and towns under water