Caribbean Faces Devastation After Powerful Storm Melissa

The Caribbean is reeling from the aftermath of Storm Melissa, which has left at least 50 people dead and widespread destruction in its wake. This storm, one of the strongest ever recorded in the region, has caused significant damage across Jamaica, Haiti, and Cuba. In Jamaica, the impact was severe. The storm knocked out power for over 462, 000 people and destroyed critical infrastructure. Communities are struggling to recover, with emergency food distributions underway. The storm's intensity was reminiscent of Hurricane Beryl from the previous year, adding to the region's ongoing challenges. Haiti, though not directly hit, experienced heavy rains that led to flooding and landslides. At least 31 people lost their lives, with 20 more reported missing. The southern town of Petit-Goave was particularly hard hit, where a river overflowed, causing extensive damage to homes and farmland. Authorities are also concerned about the spread of cholera due to contaminated water.Cuba faced significant damage as well, with hundreds of thousands of people evacuated. The storm, which hit as a Category 3 hurricane, caused extensive damage to homes, roads, and crops. Despite the destruction, no deaths were reported as of Friday. The storm's slow movement and intense winds compounded the damage. Scientists note that hurricanes are becoming more frequent and intense due to warming ocean waters, a result of greenhouse gas emissions. Caribbean leaders have called for aid and debt relief from wealthier nations to help mitigate the impacts of these increasingly powerful storms. As of Friday, Melissa had weakened to a post-tropical cyclone, moving northeast towards Iceland and the Faroe Islands. The recovery process in the affected regions is expected to be long and challenging.