SANTO DOMINGO – Hurricane Melissa severely impacted Jamaica and Cuba, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), leaving behind extensive damage and loss of life. The storm made landfall in Cuba as a Category 3 hurricane, after battering Jamaica as one of the most intense Atlantic cyclones ever recorded in the region.
According to the latest statement from the NHC, Melissa could strengthen again due to its trajectory over warm Atlantic waters. The agency confirmed that the cyclone made landfall in Cuba with sustained winds exceeding 200 km/h, causing flooding, power outages, and isolating more than 140,000 people in the eastern part of the island.
According to the same report, the hurricane has been responsible for at least 32 deaths : 25 in Haiti, three in Jamaica during preparations, three more in Haiti, and one in the Dominican Republic. In the town of Petit-Goâve, a river overflowing its banks caused most of the fatalities.
The Guantanamo Naval Station issued a boil water advisory following a break in the main water line, according to the NHC. The use of bottled water for drinking, cooking, and hygiene was recommended exclusively in areas affected by the strongest winds.
Jamaican authorities, cited in the report, indicated that 70 of the 700 water systems were damaged and that 77% of the country was without power. Emergency teams are working to restore basic services, clear roads, and repair telecommunications networks.
As it passed through the Caribbean, Hurricane Melissa severely affected Jamaica, Cuba, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic, leaving human losses, structural damage, and thousands of displaced people, according to the official tally from the National Hurricane Center.
