KINGSTON( The COW News Digital) The powerful Hurricane Melissa has unleashed massive destruction across Jamaica and Cuba, leaving at least 30 people dead and thousands displaced as the storm continues to move toward the Bahamas.
Classified as a Category 3 hurricane, Melissa has been dubbed one of the strongest storms of the century to hit the Caribbean region. The storm’s violent winds, torrential rains, and widespread flooding have crippled infrastructure and forced emergency evacuations across multiple islands.
According to regional disaster authorities, 25 deaths were reported in Haiti, four in Jamaica, and one in Dominica. Thousands more have been injured or left homeless as homes, roads, and power lines were swept away.
In Cuba, nearly 700,000 people have been evacuated to safer locations as power outages spread across major provinces. Several coastal highways and bridges remain blocked, and communication networks are down in multiple districts.
In Jamaica, the parish of St. Elizabeth has been declared one of the hardest-hit areas, with more than 500,000 people left without electricity. Floodwaters submerged entire neighborhoods, triggering landslides and widespread property destruction.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness has declared a state of national emergency, appealing for international assistance to support recovery efforts. “Our nation is facing a catastrophe. We urgently need global solidarity to rebuild and protect our citizens,” Holness said in a televised address.
The Bahamas government has ordered mandatory evacuations in southern regions as the hurricane approaches, with winds exceeding 190 kilometers per hour.
Meanwhile, the United States has announced the formation of a special task force to assist in relief operations across the Caribbean. Emergency supplies, medical teams, and rescue units are being deployed to affected areas in coordination with local governments.
Meteorologists warn that Hurricane Melissa could intensify further as it moves across warm Atlantic waters, posing a severe threat to the Bahamas and the southeastern coast of the United States.
