The Caribbean region is reeling from the catastrophic passage of Hurricane Melissa, as The Bahamas now braces for the powerful storm’s arrival today. Following its devastating impact on Jamaica and Cuba, Melissa is currently on a northeasterly trajectory toward the Central and Southeast Bahamas, where it is expected to make its third landfall.
While the storm has significantly weakened from the historic 185 miles per hour winds it wielded when it struck Jamaica, it remains a serious threat.
The Disaster Risk Management Authority (DRM Authority) in The Bahamas issued Alert #23 today, warning residents that “Melissa is now off the east coast of Cuba and moving into the southeast Bahamas, bringing damaging winds, heavy rain, flooding, and dangerous storm surge.”
With the all-clear issued in Jamaica, they are now facing the monumental task of recovery from the most powerful hurricane ever to strike the territory. Senator Dr Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, Minister of Education, Skills, Youth, and Information, reported today that approximately 77 per cent of the country remains without electricity, and over 70 of the island’s 700 water systems are currently non-functional. Utility and communication providers have begun working to reconnect affected communities, though the scale of the damage suggests a lengthy process.
Despite the hurricane’s passage, the country is not yet out of danger. Evan Thompson, principal director at the Meteorological Service of Jamaica, announced that a Flash Flood Watch remains in effect for northern, southwestern, and south-central parishes. Additional rainfall could trigger localised flooding and dangerous landslides, particularly in low-lying and flood-prone areas.
