Authorities in Haiti, which was not directly hit but suffered days of torrential rains from the slow-moving storm, reported at least 30 deaths and 20 more missing. At least 23 people, including 10 children, died in the southern town of Petit-Goave when a river burst its banks. Roads, houses, and farmlands were also damaged by the rains.
In Jamaica, Information Minister confirmed at least 19 deaths, with search and rescue efforts still underway. The storm left hundreds of thousands without power, ripped roofs off buildings, and scattered fields with debris. Jamaica’s military called on reserve personnel to assist in relief and rescue operations.
Read More: Monster Hurricane Melissa makes landfall in Jamaica
Melissa made landfall in southwestern Jamaica on Tuesday as a Category 5 hurricane — the strongest-ever storm to directly hit the Caribbean nation, and the first major hurricane since 1988. Windspeeds were well above the threshold for the top hurricane category.
Forecasters at AccuWeather said Melissa tied for second strongest Atlantic hurricane on record in terms of windspeed at landfall. They estimated $48 billion to $52 billion in damages and economic losses across the western Caribbean.
In eastern Cuba, around 735,000 people were evacuated, but as of Thursday, no deaths were reported there despite widespread damage to homes and crops.
At 11:00 p.m. (0300 GMT), Melissa was a Category 2 storm, located 264 km (164 miles) west of Bermuda, with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph (161 kph), according to the US National Hurricane Center.
Bermuda authorities closed the causeway Thursday night and shut schools and ferries on Friday “out of an abundance of caution.”
In the Bahamas, which Melissa swept through Wednesday night, storm warnings were lifted but the “all clear” had not yet been issued. Officials said evacuees might be able to return home by Saturday.
Wading barefoot through mud
The front page of Thursday’s Jamaica Observer newspaper read: “DEVASTATION.”
Densely populated Kingston was spared the worst. Its main airport and port were set to reopen Thursday, and relief flights had begun arriving. However, more than 130 roads remained blocked by trees, debris, and power lines, forcing the military to clear paths on foot into isolated areas.
Satellite imagery showed swaths of Jamaica’s landscape stripped of greenery and homes destroyed.
In Montego Bay, 77-year-old Alfred Hines waded barefoot through mud, recalling his escape from rising floodwaters.
“At one stage, I see the water at my waist and after about 10 minutes, it was around my neck. I make my escape,” he told Reuters. “I just want to forget it and see things come back to normal.”
Across western Jamaica, residents crowded supermarkets and gas stations for supplies.
“Montego Bay hasn’t got any petrol,” said British tourist Chevelle Fitzgerald. “It took at least six hours to cross to Kingston. The highway was closed and trees were falling down.”
Over 70% of Jamaica’s electrical customers remained without power as of Thursday morning, said Energy Minister Daryl Vaz. Many schools also lacked electricity and water.
Immediate humanatarian aid
Scientists say hurricanes are intensifying faster and more often due to warming ocean waters caused by greenhouse gas emissions. Caribbean leaders have urged wealthy, high-emission nations to provide aid or debt relief as compensation for climate impacts.
Also Read: Jamaica surveys ruins in hurricane’s wake
Despite the UN establishing a fund in 2023 for developing nations to access rapid financing for extreme weather events, contributions have fallen short.
AccuWeather said Melissa was the third most-intense hurricane ever observed in the Caribbean — and also its slowest-moving, worsening the devastation.
U.S. search and rescue teams were en route to Jamaica on Thursday, while U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington was ready to offer “immediate humanitarian aid” to Cuba.
Cuban authorities, who faced a Category 3 storm overnight, said they were “awaiting clarification on how and in what way” the aid would be delivered.
At least 241 Cuban communities remained isolated on Wednesday after the storm crossed Santiago province, affecting up to 140,000 residents.
In Santiago, Cuba’s second-largest city, residents began returning to repair their homes. Authorities confirmed 735,000 people evacuated to shelters, with tourists in northern cays moved to inland hotels.