The Caribbean region is currently facing a historic storm as Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 hurricane, wreaks havoc after hitting Jamaica and approaches the second largest city in Cuba, Santiago de Cuba, with Category 4 winds, forcing over 500,000 Cubans to evacuate their homes.
According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in the United States, when Melissa made landfall in the town of New Hope in southwest Jamaica early on Tuesday, wind speeds reached up to 185 miles per hour (about 295 kilometers per hour), making it the strongest hurricane on record in the country. St. Elizabeth Parish in Jamaica was nearly submerged, with over 500,000 households experiencing power outages and several major roads being cut off.
Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness, in an interview with CNN, highlighted that hospitals, residences, and commercial facilities were severely damaged, with roads suffering significant destruction. He stated that the government has allocated an emergency budget of 33 million US dollars and initiated insurance and credit support, while also calling for international assistance.
The Red Cross estimates that the affected population could reach 1.5 million. Jamaica’s Minister of the Interior, Desmond McKenzie, mentioned that rescue teams successfully evacuated trapped residents, including four infants, from areas surrounded by floodwaters.
As of Tuesday night, around 15,000 people in Jamaica were staying in temporary shelters, although the government had requested 28,000 people to evacuate, many chose to remain in their homes.
Official reports confirm three fatalities in Jamaica. Reports from Jamaican media stated that the three individuals died during storm preparations before Melissa’s landfall, including a rescue worker who suffered a stroke during the initial impact of the hurricane. Due to disrupted transportation and communication, many areas remain inundated with floodwaters, and the actual extent of casualties is yet to be confirmed.
After crossing Jamaica, Melissa turned towards the eastern part of Cuba, with its eye heading towards Santiago de Cuba, the second largest city. By Tuesday night, Melissa’s wind speed had slightly decreased to 233 kilometers per hour, but its massive wind field still covered the northern Caribbean Sea.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, in a statement published in the official newspaper Granma, urged the public to strictly adhere to evacuation orders and warned that the hurricane would inevitably cause significant damage, emphasizing the need to prepare for a difficult rebuilding process.
Cuban authorities have ordered approximately 500,000 people to move to higher ground or safe shelters. The hurricane’s center is expected to pass near Santiago de Cuba on the night of the 29th, prompting coastal residents to secure livestock and fortify structures in advance.
Before making landfall in Jamaica, Melissa brought days of heavy rain to the Dominican Republic and Haiti, resulting in at least four deaths.
Anne-Claire Fontan, a tropical cyclone expert at the World Meteorological Organization, described the storm as a “disaster event,” warning that storm surges could reach up to four meters and stating, “For Jamaica, this will be the strongest storm of the century.”
According to AccuWeather, Melissa is the third strongest hurricane in the Caribbean region since Hurricane Wilma in 2005 and Hurricane Gilbert in 1988.
Jamaica’s last direct hit was 37 years ago by Hurricane Gilbert, known as the most destructive storm of the 20th century, which devastated the entire island with floods and landslides, resulting in at least 49 deaths, over half a million displaced persons, and approximately 1 billion US dollars in economic losses.
As Melissa continues its northward trajectory, the Bahamas has declared mandatory evacuations in the southern region, placing the entire area on high alert.
(Reference: Reuters)