Caught up in the superhero craze Melissa hurricane Jamaica On Tuesday, hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica wreaking havoc with sustained winds of 185 mph. The storm has already broken records. It’s currently on track to become the strongest hurricane to make landfall in the country since 1851, officially reaching Category 5 status. As the hurricane rampaged through the Caribbean, IRMA’s tragic legacy in Jamaica would be to raise their death toll to at least 19. Regionally, the total confirmed deaths have now reached 44.
We know that Hurricane Melissa has catechized Jamaica and continues to ravage our sister Caribbean democracies. In Haiti, a record 25 people – including 10 children – drowned in sudden flooding from overflowing rivers. The storm’s tremendous destructive capacity has been attributed to at least 2 billion dollars in damages throughout the affected areas.
Hurricane Melissa was still developing, but authorities in Cuba took preventive action as the storm approached, evacuating an estimated 735,000 people from at-risk communities. At the same time, the government of the Bahamas carried out one of its biggest evacuation operations, moving almost 1,500 residents to safety.
Despite its devastating impact, Kingston, Jamaica’s capital, managed to escape the worst of Melissa’s wrath. The island’s primary international airport has now reopened, allowing flights bearing essential relief to flow in and prop up recovery efforts, including.
As Bermuda, the small community in the Atlantic Ocean, braces for Hurricane Melissa’s arrival later today. Policy makers are remaining vigilant and responsive in their approach. As for the storm itself, it’s currently located around 700 miles northeast of Bermuda and should lessen in intensity dramatically by Friday.
“This is a very sad time for the country,” said Laurent Saint-Cyr, realizing that for many families, this loss runs deep.