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Caribbean Reels from Hurricane Melissa’s Wrath: Death Toll Rises, Devastation “Apocalyptic”
Across the Caribbean, communities are grappling with the catastrophic aftermath of former Hurricane Melissa, a storm that etched itself into Atlantic history as one of the most powerful to make landfall. Jamaica bore the brunt of Melissa’s fury, with other islands experiencing devastating flooding, leaving a trail of destruction and a mounting death toll.
Melissa, a Category 5 hurricane boasting 185 mph winds, slammed into Jamaica on October 28th. It was an unprecedented event for the island nation, unleashing torrential rains and destructive winds that plunged hundreds of thousands into darkness, obliterated homes, and scattered debris across the landscape. The storm then continued its destructive path, making landfall in Cuba as a Category 3 before moving through the Bahamas and passing near Bermuda.
As of November 1st, the confirmed death toll has surpassed 50 across Jamaica, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic. This grim figure includes fatalities in areas not directly hit by the hurricane but severely impacted by the slow-moving storm’s extensive flooding. Authorities anticipate this number could rise further as they reach isolated communities and verify additional reports.
“Every single life lost is a huge tragedy,” stated Dana Morris Dixon, Jamaica’s Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, during an October 31st news conference. “We have never had a Category 5 hurricane in our country. The devastation in the west is unimaginable.”
The storm, which transitioned into a post-tropical cyclone on October 31st, was observed passing the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, early on November 1st, according to the Canadian weather service.
Death Toll Climbs Beyond 50
The morning of November 1st saw the confirmed death toll attributed to Melissa rise above 50.
In Jamaica, Minister Dixon confirmed 19 fatalities on October 31st, a figure expected to increase as more death reports are corroborated.
Haiti, though not in Melissa’s direct path, suffered extensive flooding and prolonged heavy rainfall, resulting in at least 31 deaths. A tragic 23 of these fatalities, including 10 children, occurred in the coastal town of Petit-Goâve after a river overflowed its banks.
The Dominican Republic reported at least two deaths, one of which occurred prior to the storm’s landfall, as confirmed by the Pan American Health Organization.
Jamaica Surveys “Apocalyptic” Devastation
Jamaican authorities on October 31st initiated efforts to deliver essential aid, including food, to those devastated by Melissa and to recover additional reported bodies. Helicopters are being utilized to access areas rendered impassable by damaged roads, though the country’s works department has made some progress in clearing main thoroughfares, according to Minister Dixon.
Approximately 462,000 people remain without power across the island.
Desmond McKenzie, the Minister of Local Government and Community Development, reported that communication outages persisted in five parishes on October 31st. In Falmouth, the capital of Trelawney Parish on the northwestern coast, the situation was particularly dire.
“The municipal building has been destroyed. The infirmary: destroyed.
The roads and works department: destroyed. The courthouse: destroyed,” McKenzie lamented.
Brian Bogart, Caribbean director for the World Food Programme, described the scene in Black River, Jamaica, near Melissa’s landfall, as “apocalyptic.” He added, “It appears as if a bomb has gone off in that community and people are still in shock.”
Hospitals Decimated, Healthcare Workers Traumatized
Jamaica’s healthcare system has been severely impacted by the hurricane. Christopher Tufton, the Minister of Health and Wellness, reported that five major hospitals have been forced to halt or relocate many services due to significant damage, including one in St. Elizabeth that experienced a roof collapse.
Healthcare workers on duty during the hurricane’s passage have found themselves marooned and, in some cases, cut off from their own homes and loved ones.
“Health workers have been victims of this tragedy also,” Tufton stated. “Some of them had to man their stations, not knowing what was happening to their homes, to their loved ones.”
Hospitals that sustained less severe damage are now facing an influx of patients from areas where facilities are inoperable or severely limited. As Jamaicans embark on the arduous task of recovery and cleanup, emergency departments are seeing a rise in injuries from falls off roofs or ladders and punctures from nails.
“They’re really trying to pick up the pieces and in doing so, it’s creating some accidents,” Tufton explained.
Minister Tufton also issued an urgent call for blood donations and expressed concerns about potential illnesses stemming from food contamination due to prolonged power outages and lack of refrigeration. Contaminated water and an increase in mosquito and rodent populations due, to standing water, are also pressing health concerns.