Ofure Akhigbe
At least 19 people have died in Jamaica following the devastating impact of Hurricane Melissa, Information Minister Dana Morris Dixon confirmed on Friday, as search and rescue operations continue and authorities struggle to reach isolated communities.
The powerful Category Five hurricane — one of the strongest to ever strike the Caribbean — has also killed at least 30 people in Haiti, according to local officials.
“There are entire communities that seem to be marooned and areas that seem to be flattened,” Dixon said, describing “devastating” scenes, particularly across Jamaica’s western regions.
Electricity remains out for most of the island, while thousands of residents are trying to salvage what they can from flood-damaged homes and mud-choked streets. Many areas have been without clean water or food supplies for days, worsening humanitarian conditions.
Although aid deliveries have increased with the main airport in Kingston largely restored, smaller regional airports near the worst-hit areas remain only partly operational, hampering relief efforts. Military and aid convoys are transporting supplies by road, but many routes remain blocked or impassable.
Satellite imagery indicates that entire villages in western Jamaica have been destroyed.
“Words can’t explain how devastating this has been,” said Trevor ‘Zyanigh’ Whyte, speaking from the town of White House in Westmoreland parish. “No one is able to get through to their loved ones… Every tree is on the road. You can’t even move a bicycle.”
In Haiti, most of the storm-related deaths occurred in Petit-Goave, where a river overflowed its banks. Authorities say a full damage assessment is still underway, with some areas yet to be reached. More than 15,000 people are currently staying in over 120 shelters, according to the UN.
In Cuba, nearly 3 million people were exposed to “life-threatening conditions,” but no fatalities have been reported. Authorities said 735,000 residents were evacuated, though 240 communities remain cut off due to flooding and landslides.
Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday, unleashing winds of up to 185 mph (295 km/h) before sweeping across the Caribbean toward Cuba, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic.
Governments and humanitarian organisations worldwide have pledged support.
The World Food Programme is coordinating logistics, cash aid, and emergency supplies across affected nations. The US State Department has deployed a disaster response team to assist with search and rescue, while the UK government announced an additional £5 million ($6 million) in humanitarian aid — including shelter kits and solar-powered lanterns — on top of the £2.5 million ($3.36 million) already committed.
The UK Foreign Office is also arranging flights to evacuate British nationals stranded in the region.
As Jamaica, Haiti, and Cuba begin to assess the storm’s catastrophic aftermath, Bermuda is bracing for impact. The Bermuda Weather Service expects Melissa to pass near the island late Thursday as a Category Two hurricane. Government offices and schools have been ordered closed until at least Friday afternoon, with residents urged to remain indoors until authorities issue the “All Clear.”