Hurricane Melissa Makes Landfall in Eastern Cuba After Devastating Jamaica as a Category 5 Storm
Hurricane Melissa struck eastern Cuba early Wednesday as a Category 3 storm, following its brutal impact on Jamaica as a Category 5 hurricane. The storm slammed ashore near the town of New Hope in Jamaica, leaving widespread destruction in its wake. Homes and businesses were destroyed, and communities are grappling with severe damage.
Evan Thompson, Principal Director at the Meteorological Service of Jamaica, issued a stark warning ahead of the storm: “It will cause catastrophic damage, life-threatening damage. There is very little that can stop a category five hurricane.”
Powerful winds and fallen trees trail the path of destruction across the island. Life-threatening flooding has made many roads impassable, with storm surges reaching up to 13 feet. The parish of St. Elizabeth is reportedly submerged underwater, and more than half a million residents are without power.
Four main hospitals sustained damage during the storm; one hospital lost power entirely, forcing the evacuation of 75 patients to safer locations. In response to the crisis, the Prime Minister of Jamaica declared the entire island a disaster area.
Personal Stories: Dreams Washed Away
Shantelle Nova had been preparing for her dream wedding in Jamaica, but the storm shattered those plans as the venue flooded. She recounted the scene: “Windows are broken, a lot of water is coming in, so we’re just basically pushing towels and stuff at the doors. The level of noise is ridiculous. Trees have really bent over and flew away, and some of our roof is completely off.”
Impact in Cuba
In Cuba, severe flooding inundated streets in Santiago de Cuba as heavy rains and strong winds preceded the storm’s landfall. Parts of the region saw forecasts of up to 20 inches of rain coupled with significant storm surge along the coast. Approximately 500,000 people were evacuated from vulnerable areas to reduce risks from winds and flooding as Melissa moved across the Caribbean.
Operation Blessing Mobilizes Aid Efforts
CBN’s Operation Blessing is preparing to assist those affected by Hurricane Melissa. The team is actively packing supplies and readying disaster response personnel to provide aid on the ground.
Diego Traverso, Senior Director for Operation Blessing’s Global Disaster Response Team, spoke on CBN’s Faith Nation about the challenges ahead: “We don’t know how catastrophic this is going to be, if the water is going to recede, if the airports are going to be open and when they’re going to be open. So, at this point, we are just getting ready as close as we can to the island and praying for favor so we can either ride on an airplane, private one or commercial.”
The relief team has packed essential disaster supplies, including water, food, solar lamps, hygiene kits, chlorinators, and water purification units to ensure clean drinking water for storm victims. Traverso emphasized, “Water is going to be critical; the different ways for them to get water is going to get polluted. Pray for the people of Jamaica. Pray for the team of Operation Blessing.”
In addition to immediate relief items, Operation Blessing is also preparing cargo shipments consisting of pallets of food and hygiene products to support affected families.
Looking Ahead
Hurricane Melissa is forecast to move into the Bahamas later Wednesday. Jamaican officials are hopeful that the island’s airports will be operational by Thursday to facilitate response and recovery efforts.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump has stated that the United States is prepared to send assistance to the affected regions.
Communities across the Caribbean continue to brace for the full impact of Hurricane Melissa as rescue and relief efforts ramp up in the wake of this devastating storm.