‘We Were Left Alone Again’: Caribbean islands cry for help after Cat 5 Hurricane Melissa

Caribbean: The Category 5 Hurricane Melissa which made a landfall on Tuesday afternoon in Jamaica with a wind speed of 185 mph before moving towards the Bahamas has left catastrophic damage in its wake. Several islands including Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Panama and Haiti are now facing the wrath brought upon by the ‘monster’ storm.

Officials report flooded streets, damaged properties and houses, fallen trees along with multiple casualties and several others missing across these islands.

Bahamas Braces for Impact as Storm Weakens to Category 1

As Hurricane Melissa passes through the Bahamas as a Category 1 storm, residents of Long Island say it has once again exposed how the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) treats its citizens.

Residents of Long Island say they have once again been left to fend for themselves as Hurricane Melissa bears down on the island. Many claim that despite repeated pleas for evacuation flights before the storm’s arrival, their requests were ignored, bringing back a painful reminder of a similar incident that took place during Hurricane Joaquin in 2015.

Long Island Residents Say They Were “Left Alone Again”

One of the residents while sharing the images of the disaster being caused over Long Island said, “Hurricane Melissa is travelling over Long Island. Residents were asking for evacuation flights out of Long Island before it reached, but we're ignored and silently denied.”

“Let them know that they don't have to worry. Count their days cause we aren't going in no yellow column. When they said it was going to be a new day they weren't lying. Long Island don't matter!” said the resident.

As of now, heavy rains and gusty winds continue over portions of the central and southeast Bahamas with the hurricane expected to make a landfall later today.

Cuba Battles Floods and Massive Evacuations

Hurricane Melissa is reportedly passing  through the Bahamas as a Category 1 hurricane after making landfall in Cuba as a Category 3 hurricane. Cuba suffered significant damage from the storm with around 140,000 people being cut off by rising river levels, confirmed the government.

According to President Miguel Díaz-Canel, more than 735,000 people of Cuba were evacuated to safer areas as Melissa approached the island. After tearing through eastern Cuba early on Wednesday morning, the Melissa still remains a hurricane. In the Category 1 storm as it is currently ripping through the southeast Bahamas having damaging winds, torrential rain and the threat of storm surges up to 7 feet above ground level.

Melissa Strikes Jamaica: A Category 5 Monster Makes Landfall

Melissa headed to Cuba after making landfall in Jamaica as a Category 5 storm, one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record, leaving behind cataclysmic damage to public infrastructures, roads, etc. while leaving most of the island without power and enough essential supplies such as foods.

The full extent of the damage is still unclear as most of the areas that were hard hit remain inaccessible even to the emergency services. So far four bodies have been recovered from Jamaica’s badly hit St. Elizabeth Parish, while three other citizens reportedly died on the island during the storm preparations.

Jamaica has continued to receive donations from various organisations, countries and people  from within the Caribbean and across the world.

The country is so far set to receive US$1 million donation from the NBA team the Miami HEAT, the Micky & Madeleine Arison Family Foundation and Carnival Corporation & plc to  assist the country in its recovery efforts.

Meanwhile President Trump of the United States  has authorized immediate U.S. aid for hurricane-ravaged Caribbean nations. With  emergency response teams set to be deployed after Hurricane Melissa passes through.

According to a statement from the U.S. State Department, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the U.S will be deploying a regional Disaster Assistance Response Team, including urban search-and-rescue units, to assess needs and provide life-saving assistance to those affected.

The teams are expected to arrive in Jamaica on Thursday, October 30 to deliver food, water, and other critical aid supplies.

Furthermore, a deadly storm from Melissa has reportedly caused devastating damage to Haiti, leaving more than 20 people dead after a river flooded by the storm burst its banks.

Melissa is recorded as one of the most powerful Atlantic storms in more than 150 years that has brought about devastating destructions and deaths to the Caribbean islands since its taking form in the Caribbean, hotter-than-average waters that provided the perfect condition and fuel for Melissa to strengthen over time.

With minimally disruptive winds higher in the atmosphere, Melissa rapidly intensified, jumping from a 70 mph tropical storm on Saturday morning to a 140 mph Category 4 hurricane Sunday morning before making its landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday as a high-end Category 5 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 185 mph.

Overnight Tuesday into Wednesday, Melissa reportedly crossed into eastern Cuba, as a daunting Category 3 hurricane before making landfall in the province of Santiago de Cuba.

By the time it reached the Bahamas on Wednesday, Hurricane Melissa had downgraded to a Category 1 storm, but its broad wind field continued to drive torrential flooding rain, damaging winds and dangerous storm surge at the coast.

While in the Bahamas, preliminary estimates show 1,485 residents were evacuated before all flights were suspended ahead of the approaching storm.

Melissa’s storm forceful winds unleashed widespread destruction, reportedly killing at least 54 people throughout the Caribbean islands. Although the actual death toll is yet to be made clear by the islands affected as the authorities are still assessing the damages and casualties while other areas still remain inaccessible.