Hurricane Melissa hit Jamaica early on Tuesday, bringing with it the devastating winds of a Category 5 hurricane, reaching up to 295 kilometres per hour. The impact Category five hurricane left as much as 90% of buildings in some path or near to the island shattered. It took dozens of lives in Cuba and Haiti. As communities grapple with the aftermath, officials are mobilizing efforts to assess the damage and provide relief.
As the hurricane traveled over Jamaica, it caused hurricane force damage. In the southwest of the island, 84-year-old David Muschette ached over the destruction of all he had built. “I have lost everything,” he said, capturing the deep sadness of loss that has covered lives and wrecked livelihoods.
Damage Assessment Complicated by Communication Blackout
In Jamaica, the widespread outages created by the storm complicated efforts to assess damage. Dana Morris Dixon, Jamaica’s education minister, declared that 77 percent of the entire island was in the dark. He called this massive outage “a total communication blackout.” This unpreparedness has severely impeded both search and recovery efforts, with many regions still cut off and in critical need of support.
Due to the extensive damage caused by the hurricane, nearly 735,000 residents took shelter in emergency shelters. The environment remained hostile. A landslide blocked the only major access roads in Santa Cruz, located in Jamaica’s Saint Elizabeth parish. The federal government is doing everything it can to get airports open by Thursday to allow for the fast delivery of emergency relief supplies.
“The storm is growing in size,” – Michael Brennan, director of the National Hurricane Center.
In Haiti, Hurricane Melissa exacerbated existing challenges as floodwaters from the storm inundated shelters meant for families displaced by gang violence in Port-au-Prince. The coming together of the natural disaster and socio-political instability has left many at-risk populations surviving under exposures that are threatening their lives.
Catastrophic Impact in Cuba
Cuba was hit very hard by hurricane Melissa. Authorities described hundreds of houses that had collapsed, mountain roads that were choked with debris and roofs ripped from structures as the storm swept through. The country’s worst destruction was inflicted on the country’s southwest and northwest margins.
As reported by Cuba’s National Institute of Hydraulic Resources, over 35cm of rain was registered over the period of the storm. That relentless rain was just one more threat in an already catastrophic February for citizens and emergency workers in the historic flood-prone area.
Deputy Mayor Richard Solomon described the plight of the people of Cuba as dire. He continued, “Catastrophic is putting it mildly with what we are witnessing.” His comments draw attention to the level of destruction that is just starting to come into view now that recovery efforts have started.
Government Response and Future Recovery
Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness has risen to the occasion to calm citizens during the crisis. Concerning the recovery efforts post-Hurricane Melissa, he assured that the government is completely mobilized to address it. “Recovery will take years, but I assure you that the federal government is completely engaged,” he said, calling for a coordinated response into relief and recovery efforts.
Authorities have been working nonstop to reestablish communication networks and power. In the meantime, they’re taking stock of the damage left in the wake of Hurricane Melissa. The stakes could not be higher, and the challenges are colossal. Still, on the ground, local partners and international agencies are collaborating with one another, fostering hope for recovery in impacted communities.
According to the US National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Melissa was a dangerous storm with maximum winds of 155 kph. 188E as of 10:00 AM it’s speeding off to the northeast at around 15 mph. Neighborhoods in Jamaica, Cuba, and Haiti are just now beginning to rebuild from this catastrophe. We are focused on getting urgent aid and starting the rebuilding process to support people who have lost their homes, their businesses and more.
