Source: BBC
DST News: Jamaica is slowly coming to terms with the massive destruction left behind by Hurricane Melissa, one of the most powerful storms in its modern history. With power and communication networks down, much of the island remains cut off, and the full extent of the disaster is only beginning to emerge.
Three-quarters of Jamaica was without electricity overnight as torrential rain and fierce winds battered the island, leaving entire communities submerged. Homes and roads in the western and central regions have been swept away, while authorities say the number of injured or dead has yet to be determined.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness declared the entire island a “disaster area” on Tuesday night, warning of “devastating impacts” on hospitals, schools, homes, and businesses. He told CNN that although no fatalities had been confirmed, he feared there could be “some loss of life.”
“Like a Scene from an Apocalypse”
Eyewitnesses described terrifying scenes as the hurricane made landfall, with wind speeds reaching 298 km/h (185 mph) — stronger than Hurricane Katrina in 2005. One local official told reporters that the destruction looked like “the scene of an apocalypse movie.”
In St Elizabeth parish, known as Jamaica’s agricultural heartland, vast stretches of farmland have been destroyed. Minister Desmond McKenzie said parts of the area were “under water,” with rescue teams struggling to reach trapped families.
Verna Genus, a 73-year-old farmer in Carlisle, lost her roof as she sheltered with her sons and infant grandchild. Her sister, speaking from the UK, described hearing her “crying and saying, ‘we are all finished.’”
Montego Bay Cut in Two
In Montego Bay — Jamaica’s tourism hub — floodwaters split the city in half, cutting off one side from the other. Mayor Richard Vernon said massive flooding followed after the winds subsided. “One side of the city is now cut off from the other,” he told the BBC, adding that his first task at dawn would be to “check if everybody is alive.”
Tourists trapped on the island recounted harrowing experiences. Pia Chevallier, visiting from the UK, described the sound of windows “vibrating” and doors “slamming” under pressure from the wind. “The big palm trees are uprooted — that’s how strong it was,” she said.
A Nation Battered but Unbroken
Meteorologists said Melissa intensified unusually fast, fuelled by abnormally warm Caribbean waters — a pattern scientists link to climate change. When it hit Jamaica, it had reached Category 5 strength, powerful enough to tear roofs from concrete homes, uproot trees, and snap power poles.
Health officials also warned residents to stay vigilant, even after the storm passed, due to crocodiles possibly being displaced by floodwaters.
As Melissa moved north toward Cuba early Wednesday, it weakened slightly to a Category 3 hurricane but left Jamaica paralysed and silent — its cities flooded, power grids crippled, and thousands homeless.
The government hopes that Jamaica’s catastrophe bond insurance will help fund recovery efforts. But for now, as the island remains in darkness and uncertainty, the nation’s immediate challenge is survival — and finding out just how much has been lost.
