Hurricane Melissa Devastates Caribbean Islands, Leaving Widespread Destruction and Loss of Life

Heavy rainfall and powerful winds from Hurricane Melissa wreaked havoc on Caribbean islands, killing at least 20 people, including children, and leaving thousands without power or shelter. The storm's impact was particularly pronounced in Jamaica and Haiti, where residents are struggling to come to terms with the scale of the devastation. In Jamaica, nearly 80 percent of the country was without electricity, and communication problems were hindering the authorities' ability to assess the full extent of the damage.

Key Takeaways:

• At least 20 people, including children, died in a Haitian community due to sudden floods caused by the storm.
• In Jamaica, five bodies were found in St. Elizabeth Parish, where the storm caused widespread destruction, including collapsed buildings and flooded villages.
• The authorities began to tally the dead, with four men and a woman confirmed among the casualties in St. Elizabeth Parish.
• Communication problems and power outages were hindering the authorities' ability to assess the full scope of the devastation.
• Nearly 25,000 Jamaicans were staying in shelters, and officials warned that many might not be able to return to homes that had been destroyed or damaged.
• The eastern parts of Jamaica were mostly unscathed, and all approximately 25,000 tourists in Jamaica were accounted for and in good health.
• Three babies were born during the storm in Jamaica, and Desmond McKenzie, a Jamaican minister, said despite the challenges, the islanders were resilient and rising to the occasion.
• Hurricane Melissa caused widespread destruction in Cuba, with over 14 inches of rain falling in parts of the eastern province of Granma.
• The Cuban municipality of Sagua de Tánamo was partly flooded after the Sagua de Tánamo River overflowed, and the president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, said over 735,000 people had been evacuated ahead of the storm.
• The U.S. State Department planned to deploy disaster-response teams to Caribbean countries impacted by Melissa.

Statistics:

• At least 20 people, including children, died in the Haitian community of Petit-Goâve.
• In Jamaica, five bodies were found in St. Elizabeth Parish.
• Nearly 80 percent of Jamaica was without electricity on Wednesday morning.
• Over 25,000 Jamaicans were staying in shelters.
• The Cuban municipality of Sagua de Tánamo received over 14 inches of rain.
• Over 735,000 people had been evacuated in Cuba ahead of the storm.
• Hurricane Melissa had winds of up to 185 miles per hour when it hit Jamaica as a Category 5 hurricane.
• The storm caused a powerful storm surge in Turks and Caicos on Wednesday.
• The U.S. State Department planned to deploy disaster-response teams to Caribbean countries impacted by Melissa.

Sources:

• Ronald Louis, a technical manager for the Municipal Civil Protection Committee in Haiti
• Floyd Green, Jamaica's agricultural minister
• Superintendent Coleridge Minto, head of the St. Elizabeth Parish police
• Dana Morris Dixon, Jamaica's information minister
• Edmund Bartlett, Jamaica's tourism minister
• Andrew Holness, Jamaica's prime minister
• Miguel Díaz-Canel, Cuba's president
• Yanetsy Terry Gutiérrez, governor of Cuba's Granma Province
• Desmond McKenzie, Jamaican minister coordinating the emergency response
• Anushka Patil, Alan Yuhas, Claire Fahy, Ed Augustin, and Annie Correal, reporting contributors from The New York Times.