Jamaica awoke to a grim reality this morning as Hurricane Melissa, the most powerful storm to hit the island in modern history, left behind a trail of devastation. Nearly three-quarters of the country is without electricity, and extensive flooding has submerged entire communities, particularly in the western regions. Prime Minister Andrew Holness declared the island a ‘disaster area,’ emphasizing the ‘devastating impacts’ on infrastructure, including hospitals, homes, and businesses. While no fatalities have been confirmed, the true scale of the destruction remains unclear due to crippled communication networks. Local officials described the aftermath as resembling ‘the scene of an apocalypse movie,’ with floodwaters reaching the roofs of two-story homes and rescue teams struggling to reach trapped families. Montego Bay, a tourism hub, was split in two by floodwaters, and the agricultural heartland of St. Elizabeth, known as Jamaica’s breadbasket, faces significant crop losses. Hurricane Melissa, which intensified rapidly due to abnormally warm Caribbean waters linked to climate change, has now moved on to Cuba, leaving Jamaica to grapple with the monumental task of recovery. The country’s catastrophe bond offers some hope for rebuilding, but the immediate challenges are immense.
Jamaicans wake to devastation as hurricane causes floods, power cuts and splits city in two
