At least 19 people have died in Jamaica following the devastating impact of Hurricane Melissa, according to Information Minister Dana Morris Dixon. Search and rescue operations are ongoing as authorities struggle to deliver aid to the worst affected communities.
The powerful storm, one of the strongest to hit the Caribbean in years, has also killed at least 30 people in Haiti. In Jamaica, Dixon said “entire communities appear marooned and some flattened,” describing scenes of “devastation” in the western parts of the island.
Electricity remains out across most of Jamaica, and thousands are growing desperate for food and clean water. Many areas have been without running water for several days, while relief efforts face major obstacles due to damaged infrastructure.
Although Kingston’s main airport has resumed operations, several regional airports remain partly functional. Aid agencies and the military are transporting supplies by road, but many routes are blocked by fallen trees, mudslides and debris. A journey from Mandeville to Black River, normally an hour, now takes up to eight hours.
Satellite images show that nearly all buildings in some western Jamaican villages have been destroyed.
“No one can reach their loved ones,” Trevor Whyte told the BBC from White House in Westmoreland. “Every tree is on the road — you cannot go far even with a bicycle.”
In Haiti, many victims died when a river overflowed in Petit Goave. About 15,000 people remain in shelters. Cuba has reported no deaths but widespread flooding and landslides have cut off more than 200 communities.
The United States, the United Kingdom and the United Nations have pledged aid to support recovery across Jamaica, Haiti and Cuba.
