Hurricane Melissa has left much of Jamaica without power, its western regions submerged, and homes, hospitals, and businesses destroyed, per the BBC.
Melissa, the strongest storm in Jamaica’s modern history, made landfall on Tuesday (October 28) with sustained winds of 185 mph, stronger than 2005’s Hurricane Katrina. Local officials compared the destruction to “the scene of an apocalypse movie.”
Roughly three-quarters of the island remains without electricity, and with communications crippled, the full extent of the damage is unclear.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness declared Jamaica a “disaster area” late Tuesday, warning of “devastating impacts” and “significant damage” to hospitals, homes, and businesses. Though no deaths have been confirmed, Holness told CNN he feared “there would be some loss of life.”
Montego Bay mayor Richard Vernon said his priority was “to check if everybody is alive.” Vernon described the city as “split in two by floodwaters.”
“One side of the city is now cut off from the other,” the mayor said.
In St Elizabeth, Jamaica’s agricultural heartland, Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie said the parish was “underwater.” According to McKenzie, rescue teams are working to reach families trapped by floodwaters. Crops have also been destroyed, threatening livelihoods across the region.
A 73-year-old farmer, Verna Genus, lost the roof of her home in Carlisle, St. Elizabeth.
“She was crying on the phone… then the roof is gone. I have never heard her like that—she was wailing, ‘we are all finished,’” Genus’ sister, June Powell, told BBC.
Meteorologists said Melissa’s rapid intensification was fueled by the warm Caribbean waters. The storm moved on to Cuba early Wednesday (October 29), leaving Jamaica devastated.
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