Hurricane Melissa swept across the northern Caribbean this week, leaving a trail of destruction and claiming the lives of at least 40 people. The storm hit Jamaica and Haiti the hardest, claiming dozens of lives and disrupting power, transport, and communication across the region.
When it began
The storm first developed as a tropical storm in the Caribbean Sea on Tuesday, with forecasters quickly issuing warnings for Haiti and Jamaica. Melissa underwent a dramatic intensification, strengthening into a Category 5 hurricane: the strongest in modern history to directly hit Jamaica. It made landfall on the island with devastating sustained winds of 185 mph (295 kph), speeds that surpassed those of Hurricane Katrina. The storm subsequently moved across Cuba, weakening to a Category 2.
Impact and destruction
Hurricane Melissa has left a trail of devastation across the northern Caribbean, with the confirmed death toll climbing to 49. Jamaica was the worst affected, with at least 19 fatalities confirmed by the information minister after the Category 5 storm (the strongest on record to hit the island) ripped roofs from buildings, left hundreds of thousands without power and caused widespread rubble and damage.In Haiti, which endured days of torrential rain, at least 30 people were killed, mostly in the southern town of Petit-Goâve where a river burst its banks. The storm also destroyed a section of a key national highway.While eastern Cuba suffered extensive damage to homes and crops, no deaths were reported there despite the evacuation of some 735,000 people. The forecaster AccuWeather estimated the total damage and economic loss across the region at between $48 billion and $52 billion.The storm, now a Category 1 hurricane, is picking up speed as it heads toward Bermuda, where authorities are taking precautionary measures, as reported by Reuters.
Rapid strength and climate change
The storm’s rapid intensification from tropical storm to Category 5 hurricane in less than 24 hours has raised climate concerns. As the Associated Press reports, this rapid strengthening was “fueled by abnormally warm ocean waters, which were 2 to 3 degrees Celsius above normal.” Climate scientists have linked this phenomenon to climate change, noting that warmer temperatures provide more fuel for hurricanes to intensify quickly.
Government and international aid response
The Jamaican government has pledged to devote “all our energy” to national recovery efforts, confirming that airports would reopen as soon as possible to ensure the distribution of emergency supplies.The United States is deploying disaster response teams and search-and-rescue personnel to the region. Secretary of state Marco Rubio stated on X that Washington was coordinating closely with the governments of Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and the Bahamas.Support also came from the United Kingdom, which announced £2.5 million ($3.3 million) in humanitarian funding for Jamaica. According to AP, this aid is for shelter kits, water filters, and blankets, with the Royal Navy ship HMS Trent stationed nearby to assist.Unicef confirmed the dispatch of emergency aid to Cuba, including roofing materials, waterproof blankets, and school supplies for thousands of children.
