Hurricane Melissa leaves trail of devastation in Caribbean as death toll nears 50.
The category 2 storm, which made landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday, has left a swathe of destruction across several Caribbean islands, with Jamaica bearing the brunt of the storm's fury. The country's capital, Kingston, was spared some of the worst damage, but other towns were underwater and power lines and mobile network towers were down.
In Haiti, where Hurricane Melissa made landfall on Wednesday, at least 30 people have lost their lives in the storm's aftermath, with another 20 missing and 20 injured. The country's civil defense agency described the situation as a "sad moment" for the nation.
Meanwhile, in Jamaica, search and rescue efforts continue despite the rising death toll of 19, with officials urging caution due to the island's unstable infrastructure. The storm has also caused widespread damage on the neighboring island of Bermuda, where residents were advised to close their causeways and shut schools and ferries as a precautionary measure.
Hurricane Melissa, which carried sustained winds of over 185mph, made landfall in Jamaica with the force of a category 5 hurricane, making it the country's strongest storm since records began in 1851. The storm has left an estimated billions of dollars in damages across several islands, but authorities say that many people who were able to reach shelters were protected by accurate forecasting and government advice.
As the storm begins to move northwards, Bermuda is expected to be significantly weakened on Friday, with tropical storm conditions set to ease in the coming days. The British government has chartered flights for British nationals stranded in Jamaica due to the storm, highlighting the global impact of Hurricane Melissa's destructive path across the Caribbean.
The category 2 storm, which made landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday, has left a swathe of destruction across several Caribbean islands, with Jamaica bearing the brunt of the storm's fury. The country's capital, Kingston, was spared some of the worst damage, but other towns were underwater and power lines and mobile network towers were down.
In Haiti, where Hurricane Melissa made landfall on Wednesday, at least 30 people have lost their lives in the storm's aftermath, with another 20 missing and 20 injured. The country's civil defense agency described the situation as a "sad moment" for the nation.
Meanwhile, in Jamaica, search and rescue efforts continue despite the rising death toll of 19, with officials urging caution due to the island's unstable infrastructure. The storm has also caused widespread damage on the neighboring island of Bermuda, where residents were advised to close their causeways and shut schools and ferries as a precautionary measure.
Hurricane Melissa, which carried sustained winds of over 185mph, made landfall in Jamaica with the force of a category 5 hurricane, making it the country's strongest storm since records began in 1851. The storm has left an estimated billions of dollars in damages across several islands, but authorities say that many people who were able to reach shelters were protected by accurate forecasting and government advice.
As the storm begins to move northwards, Bermuda is expected to be significantly weakened on Friday, with tropical storm conditions set to ease in the coming days. The British government has chartered flights for British nationals stranded in Jamaica due to the storm, highlighting the global impact of Hurricane Melissa's destructive path across the Caribbean.
because of that crazy hurricane? It's just heartbreaking... I mean, I know it's a natural disaster and all, but come on! You can't blame anyone else for this, right? The weather forecast was pretty accurate and the government warned everyone in advance. It's not like they didn't give people enough time to get to safety.
The country's infrastructure is already super fragile, so now we're talking about power lines and mobile towers being down. It's gonna take a while for them to get back on their feet.
Man, this is just devastating... 50+ deaths and billions of dollars worth of damage? It's like, how many more times do we need to see this? The fact that Jamaica took a hit for category 2 when it could've been a 5 is wild. I'm glad the forecast was on point for some people, but what about those who didn't make it to shelters? 
I'm not buying all this hype around accurate forecasting and government advice saving lives... sounds like a PR stunt to me 
. 19 deaths and countless injuries, but it's only when the storm hits that everyone's a hero? And what about the people who can't even access shelters in the first place? 
The Caribbean gets slammed with hurricanes every year, and we still don't have enough funds or resources to deal with the aftermath. We should be focusing on prevention and preparedness, not just praising the forecasters and government agencies for doing their job... 
. And the damage is just massive 
. I'm literally shaking my head thinking about all those people affected by this one storm alone. Poor Haiti, at least 30 lives lost already 
. The fact that many were able to get to shelters thanks to good forecasting and gov advice is a silver lining, though 
. But still, it's just so tragic 
. I'm sending all my thoughts to Jamaica and Bermuda right now 
. Can't believe the British government is helping out with those chartered flights too 
.
and now bermuda is looking good as they head into friday... fingers crossed the storm subsides soon 
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It's absolutely heartbreaking to see the devastating trail left by Hurricane Melissa in the Caribbean. 
The fact that Jamaica bore the brunt of it and some towns are still underwater is just unimaginable. And on top of all this, Haiti is dealing with at least 30 confirmed deaths, 20 missing, and 20 injured - it's like one disaster after another in a region already vulnerable to natural disasters.