Hurricane Melissa Kills Dozens Across Jamaica, Cuba, Haiti/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Hurricane Melissa killed dozens and caused widespread destruction across Jamaica, Haiti, and Cuba. The storm made landfall in Jamaica as a Category 5, before flooding Haiti and battering Cuba. Emergency crews are still assessing damage while survivors struggle without power or shelter.
Hurricane Melissa Caribbean Devastation + Quick Looks
- Hurricane Melissa hit Jamaica as a Category 5 storm with winds reaching 185 mph
- At least 25 killed in Haiti, where flooding swept through homes and destroyed roads
- One baby killed in Jamaica after a tree collapsed on a house
- In Cuba, over 735,000 people were evacuated ahead of the storm’s arrival
- Damaged infrastructure includes homes, schools, shelters, and public roads across all three nations
- Officials estimate over 77% of Jamaica is without power
- Cuba’s economic crisis worsened by storm damage, fuel, and food shortages
- U.S. is deploying disaster response and rescue teams to the region
- Melissa is forecast to move through the Bahamas and near Bermuda next
- Storm surge of up to 12 feet and 20 inches of rain expected in affected zones
Hurricane Melissa Kills Dozens Across Jamaica, Cuba, Haiti
Deep Look
SANTIAGO DE CUBA, Cuba (AP) — Hurricane Melissa tore through the Caribbean this week, leaving dozens dead and vast destruction across Jamaica, Haiti, and Cuba. The deadly storm brought 185 mph winds as it made landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday, one of the strongest hurricanes ever recorded in the Atlantic. By Wednesday, residents across the three nations were assessing catastrophic damage, with hundreds of thousands displaced and entire communities left in the dark.
In Jamaica, roads turned to rivers, landslides blocked access to towns, and thousands fled their homes. In St. Elizabeth parish, the streets became mud pits and a local high school used as a shelter had its roof torn off. A falling tree killed a baby in Jamaica’s west, and state officials said more than 25,000 people were now in temporary shelters.
Dana Morris Dixon, Jamaica’s education minister, reported that 77% of the island was without electricity as of Wednesday. Officials said the worst damage was in the southwest and northwest regions of the island. Residents described terrifying conditions. “I never see anything like this before in all my years living here,” said Jennifer Small, a longtime resident.
Government officials admitted that communications blackouts made it difficult to assess the full scope of the damage.
Acting disaster agency director Richard Thompson said, “There’s a total communication blackout” in multiple areas, making relief efforts even more difficult.
Cuba faced similar devastation. More than 735,000 people were evacuated ahead of the storm, which brought torrential rainfall and life-threatening storm surges. Granma province was especially hard-hit, with the municipal capital Jiguaní reporting over 15 inches of rain in one area.
President Miguel Díaz-Canel warned the public not to underestimate the storm. “There will be a lot of work to do. We know there will be a lot of damage,” he said.
Reinaldo Charon, a 52-year-old in Santiago de Cuba, said, “That was hell. All night long, it was terrible,” as he walked through the flooded streets. Across affected provinces, roofs were ripped off buildings, roads were impassable, and thousands took refuge in shelters.
In Haiti, tragedy unfolded in Petit-Goâve, where at least 25 people died after the La Digue river flooded and dozens of homes collapsed. Mayor Jean Bertrand Subrème confirmed the fatalities and said many more could be trapped beneath rubble. With only one civil protection official on the scene, residents struggled to evacuate through rising floodwaters.
The United States has pledged emergency aid, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirming the deployment of rescue and disaster response teams. U.S. coordination is ongoing with Caribbean governments in Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and the Bahamas.
Melissa’s path continued Wednesday toward the southeastern Bahamas, with winds still reaching 100 mph. According to the U.S. National Hurricane Center, the storm’s size increased, spreading tropical storm-force winds nearly 200 miles from the center. A storm surge of up to 7 feet is expected in the Bahamas, and rainfall could reach up to 20 inches in parts of Cuba.
Storm damage may worsen Cuba’s already fragile economy, which has suffered from extended blackouts, fuel shortages, and declining food supplies.
The government of Jamaica hopes to reopen its airports by Thursday to accelerate the distribution of emergency aid. However, the road to recovery will be long. Residents like Annette Lowe and David Muschette, who lost their roofs and belongings, expressed fear and uncertainty about the future.
“I need help,” Muschette said as he sat next to the remains of his home.
In the coming days, as Hurricane Melissa nears Bermuda, forecasters warn more rain and flooding may be on the way. Governments across the region remain on high alert as the full extent of damage continues to emerge.
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