Hurricane Melissa has torn through the Caribbean, leaving widespread devastation and claiming more than 30 lives as it continues its path toward the Bahamas. The massive storm made landfall in Cuba early Wednesday as a powerful Category 3 hurricane, unleashing torrential rain and strong winds that cut off roughly 140,000 residents as rivers overflowed and roads disappeared under floodwater.
In Jamaica, Melissa struck with historic force, ranking among the strongest Atlantic hurricanes ever recorded. Entire communities have been left in ruins, with officials calling the scale of damage “beyond catastrophic.” Much of the island remains without electricity, and emergency teams have struggled to reach areas cut off by washed-out bridges and fallen debris.
“The conditions here are devastating, catastrophic is a mild term based on what we are observing,” said Black River Mayor Richard Solomon in a video shared by the Jamaica Constabulary Force. Black River, a coastal town in the island’s southwest, bore the brunt of the storm’s violent winds and rising seas.
At least 25 deaths were confirmed in Haiti after a river near Petit-Goâve burst its banks, flooding entire neighborhoods. Three others were killed elsewhere in Haiti, while Jamaica reported three fatalities during storm preparations and the Dominican Republic confirmed one. The combined loss of life paints a grim picture of Melissa’s reach and power.
Jamaican Transport Minister Daryl Vaz announced that the nation’s three international airports will gradually reopen to aid relief efforts and restore limited commercial service. Norman Manley International in Kingston began accepting humanitarian flights Wednesday afternoon, with commercial service set to resume Thursday morning. Ian Fleming International and Sangster International airports are expected to reopen Thursday for emergency operations before normal schedules return.
Regional governments have mobilized emergency resources as Melissa moves northward toward the Bahamas. The storm’s projected path suggests further heavy rainfall and flooding could hit parts of the islands within the next 24 hours. Officials continue to warn residents to remain on alert, as the true extent of the destruction across the Caribbean is still being uncovered.