Hurricane Melissa ripped a path of destruction through Jamaica after making landfall as one of the most powerful hurricanes on record Tuesday, lashing the island nation with brutal winds and torrential rain before heading towards Cuba.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness declared the island a “disaster area” and authorities warned residents to remain sheltered over continued flooding and landslide risk, as dangerous weather persisted even as the hurricane’s worst moved on.
The scale of Melissa’s damage in Jamaica was not yet clear, as a comprehensive assessment could take days and much of the island was still without power, with communications networks badly disrupted.
At its peak, the storm packed ferocious sustained winds of 300km/h (185mph). Immediate details regarding casualty figures were not available.
Government minister Desmond McKenzie said several hospitals had been damaged, including in the hard-hit southwestern district of Saint Elizabeth, a coastal area he said was “underwater”.
Comments are closed.