The bleak numbers that reveal the scale of Hurricane Melissa’s destruction

KANIKA SINGH RATHORE,

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A after week hurricane melissa slammed into CaribbeanThe full scale of its path of destruction is beginning to become clear.

Melissa made landfall south-western jamaica last tuesday one powerful category 5 hurricanecaribbean nation The most powerful storm ever to hit its shores directlyAnd it is the first major storm to do so since 1988.

With winds of 185 mph, it passed through Cuba, the Bahamas and Bermuda before moving north on Friday. The death toll as of Monday is 67.

Below we take a look at the figures that explain why Melissa was rated one of the worst in the last 25 years.

Hurricane Melissa is moving northwest through the Caribbean Sea

Hurricane Melissa is moving northwest through the Caribbean Sea ,getty images,

storm of the century

  • At its peak, Hurricane Melissa was a Category 5 hurricane and the most powerful hurricane of the year so far.
  • It is one of the top three most intense Atlantic hurricanes on record, tied with two other hurricanes for the strongest recorded landfall with a top wind speed of 185 mph.
  • Hurricane Dorian in 2019 and the 1935 hurricane, known as the Labor Day Hurricane, were the first hurricanes to be named as they are now, both having winds of 185 mph when they made landfall.

Government officials and meteorologists have described the storm as unprecedented, as it rapidly intensified due to extremely warm sea surface temperatures and favorable conditions in the atmosphere.

The rarity of a hurricane of this severity, and the scale of damage caused on the affected lands, guaranteed that this hurricane would go down in history as one of the most destructive.

Leaving aside COVID-19, Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness said the storm could be not only the storm of the century, but also the “disaster of the century.”

Hurricane Melissa caused widespread damage in its impact

Hurricane Melissa caused widespread damage in its impact ,AFP via Getty Images,

scale of destruction

The estimated cost of damage varies wildly and it is too early to make an accurate estimate. However, AccuWeather estimates $48bn to $52bn in damage and economic losses across the western Caribbean.

The total population of all the islands affected is at least 25 million people. Western Jamaica was one of the hardest-hit areas, while Cuba, Haiti, and the Bahamas were also severely affected, and thousands of homes were damaged.

Here’s a look at some numbers by country:

Jamaica:

  • The western parts of Jamaica were worst affected, with 90 percent of the houses in the city of Black River having their roofs completely destroyed.
  • The cost of the hurricane’s impact in Jamaica alone is estimated at $7.7 billion.
  • About 72 percent of Jamaica’s energy customers were left without power, and 6,000 people were still in emergency shelters over the weekend.
  • Much of Jamaica remains without power but eight hospitals now have uninterrupted power
  • At least 28 people are feared dead and more injured as rescue efforts continue
  • Jamaica’s two main international airports, Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay and Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston, have both reopened.
St. Elizabeth, Jamaica, was badly affected by the storm and the entire city was under water.

St. Elizabeth, Jamaica, was badly affected by the storm and the entire city was under water. ,AFP via Getty Images,

Cuba

  • More than 30 lakh people faced life-threatening conditions during the storm
  • 735,000 evacuated safely
  • Electricity was cut to 240 communities due to floods and landslides. Although work to restore power is underway, it is unclear how successful these efforts have been so far

Haiti:

  • The death toll since Friday has almost reached 31, with many killed after a river overflowed in Petit-Goave
  • 15,000 people were given shelter in more than 120 shelters
  • Significant damage to the agricultural sector due to soil saturation, especially in banana plantations.
  • Haiti is already facing a humanitarian crisis due to gang violence with 1.4 million people displaced

Bahamas:

  • 1,500 people were evacuated from sensitive areas
  • Parts of the islands are submerged in flood water
A resident of El Cobre in the province of Santiago de Cuba walks through fallen trees, power lines and destroyed homes

A resident of El Cobre in the province of Santiago de Cuba walks through fallen trees, power lines and destroyed homes ,AFP via Getty Images,

The Prime Minister of Jamaica said, “The scale of the destruction is unlike anything seen in decades”.

He wrote on

Government officials in the Caribbean say damage assessments are still ongoing, as aid workers try to reach isolated communities.

“Our immediate priority is to restore electricity and telecommunications and ensure that essential services, particularly at Falmouth Hospital, are stabilised,” Mr Holness said on Twitter, adding that Jamaica would rebuild “stronger and wiser”.

Meanwhile, Jamaica’s Health Minister Christopher Tufton acknowledged that the death toll in Jamaica is probably higher than currently reported because many places are still difficult to access.

Following the disaster, the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF) said it would make a record payment of $70.8 million to Jamaica.

Satellite imagery shows Jamaica before and after the disaster

Satellite imagery shows Jamaica before and after the disaster ,Vantore/Government of Jamaica,

humanitarian aid

  • The US, UK and Canada have all offered large disaster response packages for the region
  • UN agencies have allocated millions of pounds of aid to the Caribbean region, but are struggling to reach some hard-to-reach areas.
  • Thousands of hygiene kits, reproductive health kits and boxes of food have been delivered to the affected islands.

A US-based team is being activated by the State Department, a disaster response team is being deployed, which will assist in providing food, water, medical supplies, hygiene kits, temporary shelter and search and rescue assistance.

Meanwhile, the UK initially offered an aid package of £2.5 million last week, later announcing a further £5 million. The Secretary of State of Canada is providing $7 million CAD in support of emergency relief.

People walk through a flooded road after Hurricane Melissa hits Petit-Goave in Haiti

People walk through a flooded road after Hurricane Melissa hits Petit-Goave in Haiti ,AFP via Getty Images,

On Saturday, the UN World Food Program (WFP) announced that it had received 2,000 boxes of emergency food aid shipped from Barbados, to be distributed to shelters and the most affected communities in the St. Elizabeths region.

UNICEF – the United Nations children’s agency – said it had delivered water, sanitation and hygiene kits to about 14,500 people and nutritional supplies to more than 4,000 children before Melissa affected. An additional $1 million was allocated to support the immediate emergency response.

The United Nations Population Fund has provided 5,000 reproductive health kits and 4,000 dignity kits. An additional $4 million has also been allocated from its Central Emergency Response Fund to affected people in Jamaica. Medical kits for approximately 11,000 people were provided by the Pan American Health Organization.

UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said, “Millions of people are trapped in the path of Hurricane Melissa and need immediate help. We are working with the governments of Jamaica, Haiti and Cuba to save lives.”

“The priority now is to get help to those who need it,” said Pernell P. Charles Jr., Jamaica’s Minister of Labor and Social Security, during a brief stopover en route to the Black River for the first time with long-awaited relief supplies.

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