Hurricane Melissa Brings Devastation and Death Toll to Caribbean Region
The death toll from Hurricane Melissa has risen to 49 as the storm continues to wreak havoc across the Caribbean. Jamaica, the hardest-hit country so far, reported 19 deaths, while Haiti's death toll stands at 30 with 20 more missing.
"It is a sad moment for the country," said Laurent Saint-Cyr, head of the transitional presidential council in Haiti, where the storm has left thousands without access to basic necessities. The situation in eastern Cuba was relatively less affected, with authorities evacuating nearly 735,000 people from their homes as the storm approached, but no official damage or death toll has been reported.
In Jamaica, search and rescue efforts are ongoing, despite the country's capital, Kingston, being spared the worst of the storm. The island's main international airport has reopened to allow critical aid to land, with officials describing the devastation as "enormous". Power lines and mobile network towers were down in much of the south-west.
Bermuda, which was expected to be severely affected by Melissa, was given a relatively wide berth by the storm. Residents remained calm, but authorities took precautions, closing its causeway Thursday night and shutting schools and ferries on Friday "out of an abundance of caution".
The British government has chartered flights for Jamaican nationals who are unable to fly home commercially. The US National Hurricane Center downgraded Melissa from a category 5 storm to a category 2 hurricane, but it still carries winds of close to 105 miles per hour.
Across the Bahamas archipelago, which Melissa has now passed, nearly 1,500 people were flown out in one of its largest evacuation operations. Despite losing power, the storm remains a significant threat, with the US National Hurricane Center predicting it will significantly weaken on Friday.
The death toll from Hurricane Melissa has risen to 49 as the storm continues to wreak havoc across the Caribbean. Jamaica, the hardest-hit country so far, reported 19 deaths, while Haiti's death toll stands at 30 with 20 more missing.
"It is a sad moment for the country," said Laurent Saint-Cyr, head of the transitional presidential council in Haiti, where the storm has left thousands without access to basic necessities. The situation in eastern Cuba was relatively less affected, with authorities evacuating nearly 735,000 people from their homes as the storm approached, but no official damage or death toll has been reported.
In Jamaica, search and rescue efforts are ongoing, despite the country's capital, Kingston, being spared the worst of the storm. The island's main international airport has reopened to allow critical aid to land, with officials describing the devastation as "enormous". Power lines and mobile network towers were down in much of the south-west.
Bermuda, which was expected to be severely affected by Melissa, was given a relatively wide berth by the storm. Residents remained calm, but authorities took precautions, closing its causeway Thursday night and shutting schools and ferries on Friday "out of an abundance of caution".
The British government has chartered flights for Jamaican nationals who are unable to fly home commercially. The US National Hurricane Center downgraded Melissa from a category 5 storm to a category 2 hurricane, but it still carries winds of close to 105 miles per hour.
Across the Bahamas archipelago, which Melissa has now passed, nearly 1,500 people were flown out in one of its largest evacuation operations. Despite losing power, the storm remains a significant threat, with the US National Hurricane Center predicting it will significantly weaken on Friday.
The devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa is heartbreaking. I can only imagine how frightening it must have been to be caught in that category 5 hurricane... or even as low as category 2 
. The fact that nearly 735,000 people had to evacuate eastern Cuba shows just how serious the situation was. And now, thousands are without access to basic necessities like food and water in Haiti 
.
. The precautions taken by authorities there seem like a good example of being prepared for the unexpected. The US National Hurricane Center downgrading the storm from category 5 to 2 is a reminder that even powerful storms can lose strength quickly 
.
. And I'm glad to see that some countries like Bermuda are taking precautions without causing panic 
. My thoughts are with the people affected by this disaster, and I hope they receive all the help and support they need 
.
can't we do better than this? and it's not like cuba didn't take precautions or anything, evacuating nearly a million people is no joke. but still, 735k people on the move, that's a lot of stress. and what's with the us hurricane center downgrading it to category 2 now? shouldn't they have done that sooner 
anyway, at least the british gov is stepping up for the jamaicans who can't get back home... still, gotta wonder how many ppl were affected without even having a power line or mobile signal 
This is just devastating... I mean, what's wrong with Mother Nature? First it's COVID, now this... 
49 people are already dead and thousands more without access to basic necessities. And Jamaica's capital was basically spared? It's like the storm decided to play a cruel game of chess. 
When will this ever end?! 
. can't we do anything to stop these storms from happening in the first place? instead of evacuating people or waiting for the storm to pass, what about some real research on how to prevent these disasters? i mean 735,000 people evacuated... that's just a whole lotta people 
The situation is just heartbreaking, especially for Haiti and Jamaica which are taking the hardest hit 
. But at the same time, I can understand why authorities took measures to protect people's safety 
.
. And it's great to see the US National Hurricane Center being proactive in their predictions and downgrading Melissa from category 5 to category 2 
.
. It's just so sad to see people going through this, especially when it feels like they're fighting against nature itself 
gotta keep those islands safe 
... like, I'm so sorry for everyone affected by it. The stats are crazy, 49 deaths already? That's insane 
. I guess the fact that Bermuda was given a wide berth is a good thing, but at the same time, I'm sure they're still feeling it 
.
.
I'm thinking about all those ppl stuck without power & water, its just so sad 
. And Bermuda was lucky to be spared 
... i'm glad they got some help from the british gov and the us, tho... at least they can fly home now 
... anyways, my thoughts r with all those affected by this storm 
. like, can't we just get a break from all this natural disaster drama for once? anyway, 49 dead is crazy 
. US government is doing their part by chartering flights for Jamaican nationals tho 
. hoping Melissa weakens up soon, don't wanna see any more devastation 
Anyway, gotta keep an eye on those folks in Jamaica and Haiti - they're gonna need some serious help to get back on their feet. Praying for 'em! 
we're reminded that even with all our preparations and precautions, we're still at the mercy of forces beyond our control... it's almost as if we're participating in some grand symphony, where the rhythm is dictated by the winds and rains, not by human hands. 
what's truly heartbreaking is the resilience of these people, who will have to pick up the pieces and rebuild their lives after this devastating storm has passed. can't help but wonder what we could've done differently, or perhaps more importantly, how we can learn from this experience to become better prepared for the uncertainties that lie ahead... 
. I'm glad the British gov is helping out with flights for Jamaican nationals tho 
.
and then it just passed them by. I wonder if dey'll ever go back tho 
But at the same time, I feel bad for Haiti and Jamaica, who got hit so hard... it's like they're carrying the whole burden of Melissa's wrath.