Hurricane Melissa is quickly becoming one of the strongest storms to hit the Caribbean region in decades. After making landfall in Cuba on Saturday as an “extremely dangerous” Category 3 hurricane, Melissa has caused catastrophic damages. When it struck Jamaica, it did so with violent force, like a Category 5 hurricane. It released mother nature winds that reached as high as 185 mph.
On Tuesday, October 28, meteorologists were able to watch Hurricane Melissa spin in the Caribbean Sea, illustrating her extraordinary strength. The storm is rapidly strengthening, causing an increase in urgency of warnings for residents across multiple islands. Federal officials are encouraging communities to prepare for the worst.
Hurricane Melissa continued to impact Jamaica directly, resulting in devastating devastation across the island. The tiny island was subjected to record-shattering winds and rain, resulting in catastrophic damage. The enormous size of the storm drenched vast regions, resulting in devastating flooding that dangerously delayed rescue and recovery efforts. Homes were flattened beyond recognition, and new and historic infrastructure alike endured catastrophic damage. State and federal emergency services scrambled to respond as local resources maxed out.
Though Cuba was hit by Melissa as well, it experienced a bit of a softer touch compared to Jamaica. News coverage documented the scene in western Cuba after that storm had made landfall there as a dangerous Category 3 hurricane. The destruction is staggering. Recovery teams are still working to understand the total scope of the destruction.
Officials in both countries are doing everything they can to get help to impacted communities as quickly as possible. We’re emergency sheltering, ready or not. Relief teams are on the ground working around the clock to provide food, water, medical care and all manner of relief to those in need. Environmental crews have been searching for and rescuing animals, focusing on places hit hardest by flooding and wind destruction.
The international community has already started to commit resources to support those most impacted by Hurricane Melissa. As neighboring countries have stepped up to help, many local organizations are already sequencing fundraising campaigns to funnel resources directly to affected regions.
