At least 50 people died after Hurricane Melissa hit the Caribbean this week, and officials say that number is expected to increase. Among the deceased are 19 in Jamaica, Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information Dana Morris Dixon said at a news conference Friday.
“We have never had a Category 5 hurricane in our country. The devastation in the west is unimaginable,” was quoted by USA Today as saying.
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Melissa made landfall in Jamaica as one of the most powerful hurricanes on record in the Atlantic Basin on Tuesday with winds of 185 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. It made its way through Cuba and the Bahamas before heading toward Bermuda, destroying infrastructure and causing widespread flooding and property damage, as well as leaving hundreds of thousands without power.
“Entire communities” seem to be marooned, and there are “areas that seem to be flattened,” Dixon said according to the BBC, which noted that satellite imagery shows nearly all buildings in some Jamaican villages were wrecked by the hurricane.
Helicopters in Jamaica are being used to deliver food and other resources to hard-to-reach communities, Dixon said. The works department is working on clearing roads to let first responders through, USA Today wrote, though Dixon said there are “individuals who are not hearing from their families because of the communication break.”
The U.S. State Department deployed members of the Disaster Assistance Response Team to Jamaica to coordinate humanitarian support. In the United Kingdom, government officials said they are sending £5 million, or $6 million, in humanitarian supplies to affected areas. Earlier, they had announced £2.5 million, or $3.36 million, in other emergency funding sent to the Caribbean.
While Melissa did not directly hit Haiti, at least 31 people are reportedly dead because of intense flooding. At least 23 of them died after a river burst in Petit-Goâve.
“Health needs remain significant and continued support is required to provide health assistance to affected populations in a complex operational context,” the Pan American Health Organization said about Haiti. “Limited communication is hindering the flow of information from health facilities and displacement sites, complicating coordination and rapid response. Road blockages are also affecting the delivery of assistance by land, while funding constraints challenge the timely implementation of key health response interventions.”
