Hurricane Melissa's Devastating Trail Across Caribbean, Indian Ocean, and Southeast Asia
A powerful Hurricane Melissa has wreaked havoc across parts of the Caribbean, leaving a trail of destruction and loss of life in its wake. The storm made landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday night as a category 5 storm, packing winds of up to 185mph at its peak. Western Jamaica was particularly hard hit, with over 90% of homes losing their roofs or being destroyed entirely.
The storm's impact was felt across the region, with roughly three-quarters of Jamaica losing electricity and at least 19 people reported dead. The cleanup operation was hampered by thunderstorms even after Melissa cleared to the north, leaving many communities struggling to recover.
Melissa's path took it towards Cuba, where it continued to bring winds of up to 120mph and torrential rains. However, by the time it made landfall in Cuba, the storm had weakened to a category 3 storm. Haiti was particularly badly affected, with flash floods and landslides resulting in at least 30 reported deaths.
As Melissa continues its journey north-east towards Bermuda and the Bahamas, it is expected to transition into a post-tropical system. Meanwhile, other severe weather systems are causing devastation elsewhere. Cyclone Montha made landfall in south-east India, bringing widespread flooding and damage worth over $603 million.
In Vietnam, torrential rains have led to the flooding of homes, farmland, and historic sites in Hue and Hoi An. The country's highest 24-hour rainfall recorded was about 1,700mm, resulting in a major river reaching its highest level since 1964. At least 10 people have been killed, with eight others reported missing, as over 128,000 houses were inundated with water.
The environmental impact of the storms is also significant, with over 12,300 acres of crops destroyed and more than 16,000 cattle dying in India alone. Landslides in mountainous regions have blocked roads and passes, leaving drivers stranded. The region's disaster response efforts are stretched to the limit, as communities struggle to cope with the aftermath of these powerful storms.
A powerful Hurricane Melissa has wreaked havoc across parts of the Caribbean, leaving a trail of destruction and loss of life in its wake. The storm made landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday night as a category 5 storm, packing winds of up to 185mph at its peak. Western Jamaica was particularly hard hit, with over 90% of homes losing their roofs or being destroyed entirely.
The storm's impact was felt across the region, with roughly three-quarters of Jamaica losing electricity and at least 19 people reported dead. The cleanup operation was hampered by thunderstorms even after Melissa cleared to the north, leaving many communities struggling to recover.
Melissa's path took it towards Cuba, where it continued to bring winds of up to 120mph and torrential rains. However, by the time it made landfall in Cuba, the storm had weakened to a category 3 storm. Haiti was particularly badly affected, with flash floods and landslides resulting in at least 30 reported deaths.
As Melissa continues its journey north-east towards Bermuda and the Bahamas, it is expected to transition into a post-tropical system. Meanwhile, other severe weather systems are causing devastation elsewhere. Cyclone Montha made landfall in south-east India, bringing widespread flooding and damage worth over $603 million.
In Vietnam, torrential rains have led to the flooding of homes, farmland, and historic sites in Hue and Hoi An. The country's highest 24-hour rainfall recorded was about 1,700mm, resulting in a major river reaching its highest level since 1964. At least 10 people have been killed, with eight others reported missing, as over 128,000 houses were inundated with water.
The environmental impact of the storms is also significant, with over 12,300 acres of crops destroyed and more than 16,000 cattle dying in India alone. Landslides in mountainous regions have blocked roads and passes, leaving drivers stranded. The region's disaster response efforts are stretched to the limit, as communities struggle to cope with the aftermath of these powerful storms.
... like we all feel for those people affected by melissa in caribbean, india and vietnam... 1200+ deaths already? that's just heartbreaking 
... i know it's hard to watch these disasters from afar but can't help thinking how many more lives would've been saved if the governments had invested more in early warning systems and disaster preparedness 
... and what's with all these severe weather systems hitting different regions at the same time? feels like we're running out of luck 
... anyway, gotta send some positive vibes to those affected 
a category 5 hurricane just made landfall in jamaica and it's like the whole island is gone 
western jamaica is literally destroyed 
and the cleanup operation is still struggling because of thunderstorms even after the storm passed lol what kind of messed up weather system is that? 
Oh man, it's like totally devastating out there 
. The environmental damage too... 12,300 acres of crops gone and over 16,000 cattle dying in India... it's like, what even is happening? 
The cleanup operation is still ongoing and I'm pretty sure the storm's not even done yet 
.
this is just getting crazy... how can one storm bring so much devastation across multiple countries? i mean, 185mph winds in jamaica and over 120mph in cuba? that's insane! 
so many lives lost & homes destroyed 
hope the cleanup ops get underway soon & communities can start rebuilding 
. I've been looking at some maps 
and it's hard to believe how fast the storm moved and how much damage it caused.
] I've made a quick sketch to try and visualize the scale of the disaster:
. It's like the storm just kept going and going... [
.
] I'm calling on everyone to stay safe and support those affected by these devastating storms 
. Let's hope the cleanup efforts go smoothly and that the region can start rebuilding soon 
.