Web Desk: Hurricane Melissa tore through the northern Caribbean this week, leaving behind massive destruction in Jamaica, Cuba, and Haiti before accelerating over open waters toward Bermuda on Thursday. The storm brought heavy rainfall, destructive winds, and widespread flooding across the region.
Residents in the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands took shelter as Melissa battered the islands with powerful gusts and torrential rain. Roughly 600 miles northeast, Bermuda prepared for the storm’s arrival by evening.
Authorities confirmed at least 25 deaths in Haiti — including 10 children — and four in Jamaica. The US National Hurricane Center reported that Melissa was producing sustained winds of around 105 miles per hour (165 kph) by Thursday afternoon, downgraded from its earlier Category 5 intensity to Category 2.
In Jamaica’s Montego Bay, residents recounted scenes of horror as floodwaters surged. “At one stage, I saw the water at my waist and then around my neck — I barely escaped,” said 77-year-old Alfred Hines. The capital, Kingston, was largely spared major damage, and the main airport was expected to reopen Thursday.
The US-based AccuWeather agency estimated that Hurricane Melissa could cause over $22 billion in damages and economic losses, making it one of the most devastating storms in Caribbean history.
In Haiti, the storm triggered deadly floods despite not making direct landfall. Most casualties occurred in Petit-Goave, west of the capital, where a river overflowed its banks, submerging homes and sweeping away families. The country’s disaster management agency said more than 12,000 people were displaced and over 1,000 homes flooded.
In eastern Cuba, around 735,000 people were evacuated as the storm approached. Communications and power remained cut off across 241 communities in Santiago province, affecting an estimated 140,000 residents.
Bermuda’s authorities announced precautionary shutdowns of schools, ferries, and the island’s main causeway ahead of the storm’s arrival. “I implore all residents to remain vigilant,” said National Security Minister Michael Weeks.
Experts warn that hurricanes like Melissa are becoming more frequent and powerful due to rising sea temperatures caused by greenhouse gas emissions. Caribbean leaders have renewed calls for wealthier nations to assist through aid or debt relief, citing the region’s growing vulnerability to climate change.
