Hurricane Melissa update: Record-breaking storm devastates Caribbean nations—33 killed, damages touch $8 billion

Hurricane Melissa tore through the northern Caribbean on Wednesday after battering Cuba’s second-largest city, cutting off hundreds of rural communities, causing widespread destruction in Jamaica, and bringing torrential rains to Haiti. At least 33 people lost their lives, and it has caused $8 billion in damages, according to Bloomberg.

Hurricane Melissa update: Top 10 points

1. Throughout the Caribbean, Hurricane Melissa’s fierce winds have destroyed homes and buildings, blocked roads, left people stranded on rooftops, and caused widespread power outages. Airports in Jamaica were closed, stranding roughly 25,000 tourists, while authorities cautioned residents about crocodiles displaced by the storm.
2. At least 25 people lost their lives in Haiti, with 18 others reported unaccounted for, according to the AP, citing Haiti’s Civil Protection Agency. In a southern coastal town, flooding destroyed dozens of homes, accounting for 20 of the deaths and 10 of the missing. Meanwhile, at least eight people have died in Jamaica.

3. Meanwhile, all international tourists in Jamaica are safe, according to the New York Times. Senior US State Department officials said that over 8,200 US citizens are registered in Jamaica and other affected countries through a federal travel system, though the actual number of Americans still in the region is likely higher.

4. According to Chuck Watson, a disaster modeller at Enki Research, “It was widespread destruction. This was a very slow, very wet storm.” He mentioned that a faster-moving storm would have resulted in much less damage, Bloomberg reported.

5. Melissa made landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday as the most powerful hurricane ever to directly strike the island. It packed sustained winds of 298 kph (185 mph), far exceeding the threshold for a Category 5 storm, the highest level on the hurricane scale, according to Reuters.

6. Authorities on Wednesday said Elon Musk’s Starlink is offering satellite support to help Jamaicans restore connectivity after damage to communications infrastructure.

7. Prime Minister Keir Starmer told the House of Commons on Wednesday that the UK had pre-positioned a Royal Navy ship and specialist rapid deployment teams in the region and is prepared to provide Jamaica “full support". He added, “The scenes of destruction emerging from Jamaica are truly shocking.”

8. US forecaster AccuWeather mentioned that Melissa was the Caribbean’s third-most intense recorded hurricane and also its slowest-moving, which contributed to its extreme destructiveness.

9. Jamaica’s government issued an "all clear" to begin recovery efforts but announced that emergency shelters would remain open throughout the week for those displaced from damaged homes, a report by Reuters noted.

10. Local government minister Desmond McKenzie stated that more than 25,000 people had sought shelter, emphasising, “No one must be turned back from the shelters.”

(With inputs from agencies)