Hurricane Melissa hit southwestern Jamaica on Tuesday afternoon as a strong Category 5 hurricane. It brought winds, heavy rain, and storm surges that caused a lot of damage across the island.
Pictures and images from Rocky Point, St. Elizabeth, and other coastal towns reveal streets that are flooded, buildings that have fallen down, and roofs that have been ripped off of schools and hospitals as Melissa’s rage raced over the area.
Reports of widespread damage
Prime Minister Andrew Holness told CNN’s Anderson Cooper that there was a lot of damage in several parishes.
Holness added, “The reports we’ve gotten so far show damage to hospitals, homes, and businesses, as well as homes and businesses.”
The parish of St. Elizabeth seems to be one of the worst affected, with floodwaters covering many neighborhoods and reports of major structural damage.
Richard Thompson, the Director General of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), told CNN that the damage is quite bad.
“There is a lot of damage in the southwestern areas, in St. Elizabeth—major damage to schools, hospitals, and homes. There is a lot of flooding and wind damage,” Thompson said.
Black River Hospital, the primary hospital in St. Elizabeth, is one of the places that has been damaged.
Thompson said, “We have confirmed that the Black River Hospital was affected.” “We are really expecting that hospital to be badly damaged.”
Death Count and Injuries
Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett said that so far, no deaths have been directly attributed to the hurricane hitting Jamaica. Hurricane Melissa has been responsible for seven deaths in total: three in Jamaica as people were getting ready for the storm, three in Haiti, and one in the Dominican Republic.
As the heavy rains continue, officials are keeping an eye on rescue efforts and damage assessments in the impacted areas.
Path of the Storm and Its Current Strength
The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) says that Hurricane Melissa is now a Category 3 storm with winds of 125 mph (200 km/h) that will last for a long time.
The hurricane is traveling north-northeast at 8 mph and is now around 160 miles southwest of Guantánamo, Cuba.
The NHC says that Melissa will stay a significant storm (Category 3 or above) when it travels across Cuba and the Bahamas in the next few days.
The storm is likely to bring 10 to 20 inches of rain to eastern Cuba and up to 25 inches to hilly areas, which could cause flash floods and landslides.
Warning: Fact Check
Authorities have also talked about false information that is going around on social media. Official fact-check reports say that a popular video that supposedly shows a shark swimming through Jamaican streets during the hurricane was made by AI.