Hurricane Melissa devastates Jamaica, causes widespread destruction

Jamaica: Hurricane Melissa hit the Caribbean this week which caused wide-scale damage in Jamaica and other Caribbean countries, including Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The storm grew into a Category 5 storm with wind speeds over 185 mph, also bringing heavy flooding in many areas.

The storm made landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, striking the southern coast with violent force. The storm broke roofs of homes, uprooted trees and took out power lines. Roads turned into mud filled rivers and many bridges collapsed, leaving communities cut off and vehicles were swept away. Some of the most affected parishes were St Elizabeth, Hanover and Westmoreland. Neighbourhoods were completely flooded and hospitals in the areas reported severe damage.

Emergency response teams said that the situation in the Caribbean is very critical. In many hospitals, medical personnel have taken shelter as power outages stopped operations. Rescue teams in Montego Bay and Black River struggled to reach people who were stuck due to floods. In some areas, boats were used to take people to higher ground as the roads are clocked with flood water and into low-lying homes.

In the https://writeups24.com/caribbean, the death toll from Hurricane Melissa has reached 54. Jamaica has confirmed 8 deaths, some in St Elizabeth and Black River. In Haiti, which had over 40 reports of deaths, the hardest hit areas were Petit-Goâve and Fontamara, while the Dominican Republic reported four deaths. Also over 20 are still missing as search and rescue operations are ongoing.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness said that the disaster which the storm brought is heart breaking as he also shared the aerial coverage on his X (formerly known as Twitter) account. He said that every effort will be made to rebuild and restore basic services. There are no open airports or seaports on the island as of now, with authorities urging residents not to go near flooded spots and fallen power lines.

Meteorological Services said that Hurricane Melissa is a rare and strong storm to hit Jamaica in nearly a hundred years. Its slow and heavy rain made the damage worse. Scientists have also linked such extreme storms to the warming of the oceans and changing climate patterns in the area.