Jamaica and Cuba Face Huge Challenges After Hurricane Melissa

Hurricane Melissa has left a trail of destruction in Jamaica and Cuba. The storm was one of the strongest ever recorded in the Atlantic. It caused severe damage to homes, roads, and buildings. In Jamaica, the western part of the country was hit the hardest. The storm flattened seaside communities, leaving piles of brick, wood, and twisted metal. Floodwaters gouged asphalt roads and knocked cars into muddy pits. An elementary school still stood, but the roof was sheared off, and beams splintered onto the desks below. The storm also flooded cities and towns in eastern Cuba. About 2 million Cubans were in urgent need of shelter, food, water, and health care. The U. N. 's resident coordinator for Cuba, Francisco Pichón, said on Thursday that the situation was critical. In Jamaica, authorities were still assessing the damage. Desmond McKenzie, Jamaica's minister leading the emergency response, said the number of deaths was not yet confirmed. He expected the toll to rise as the military dispatched a helicopter to recover bodies. St. Elizabeth, the southwestern parish where the hurricane made landfall, was called ground zero of the disaster. A courthouse, library, churches, and other historic buildings were reduced to rubble. Black River, the parish capital, was decimated. The town was once known for its crocodile safaris and calm holidays. But on Thursday, it was unrecognizable. The Waterloo Guest House, said to be the first private home in Jamaica lit by electricity, was just a pile of wood. Boulders littered the coastline, and a cellphone tower had twisted into a semicircle. Many people took shelter at the Black River police station as the floodwaters rose. Superintendent Minto said it was dangerous, but they took the risk. Across Jamaica, more than 170 communities were moderately or severely affected by flooding or landslides. About 13, 000 people were still in shelters on Thursday. More than 400, 000 Jamaicans were without power. The government was working with aid groups to secure and distribute food and medications to the hardest-hit regions. Britain, France, and several of Jamaica's Caribbean neighbors pledged assistance. The United States was also prepared to provide aid. Cuba's deputy minister of foreign affairs indicated that the country might be willing to accept U. S. assistance. In Bayamo, Cuba, volunteers were helping to clean up. Diana Iglesias, 50, was among them. Her eldest son was cooking lunch for about 100 people whose homes had flooded.