Hurricane Melissa Devastates the Caribbean

Courtesy: WRAL

By: Clerfania Previlion

Hurricane Melissa, a category 5 storm, devastated the Caribbean last week. The tropical storm has left catastrophic damage across affected areas, particularly in Jamaica.

NBC News reported that Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica with catastrophic floods and 185 miles per hour winds, leaving locals and tourists alike stranded. The strength of Hurricane Melissa brings weather experts to explore the possibility of creating a new category for tropical storms: Category 6.

Hampton University's Caribbean Pre-Alumni Association shared a statement on the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa, with many members working on efforts to provide relief.

“The hardest part about watching the storm from afar is feeling really helpless,” said Sanai Neblett, a fourth-year psychology major and treasurer of the Caribbean Pre-Alumni Council. "We're trying our best to send barrels and donations, but you know, those things take time, and it's still not immediate relief when Jamaica needs immediate relief. With the holidays coming up, people are going to begin to forget what's happening there.”

A study showed that the effects of Hurricane Melissa have been intensified by climate change, according to the BBC. The death toll has risen to 75 and is expected to rise further as Caribbean communities have started burying victims.

Prime Minister of Jamaica, Andrew Holness, warns locals about the rising death toll. “We must account for each Jamaican who died because we also have to account to the families of those Jamaicans and understand the full impact of this disaster,” he said. “It’s really unfortunate, but it’s just the reality when you get hit by a hurricane of Category Five,” per Caribbean National Weekly.

As Jamaica and other Caribbean nations begin the long road to recovery, the devastation left by Hurricane Melissa serves as a stark reminder of the growing power of storms in a changing climate.