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The Destructive Aftermath of Hurricane Melissa
Akilan Subramaniyan
Image Provided by Akilan Subramaniyan
Breaking News! The path of Hurricane Melissa reveals the ruins of Jamaica, affecting 1.9 million people and claiming eight million dollars…! (“Jamaica: Hurricane Melissa | IFRC” ;) The reporter continues to yell from the screen, but…you cannot digest what was just stated. No way could such an event happen so quickly. However, the fact is that it is true. There is nothing to do about the past. However, we can educate ourselves and prepare for the future. We must learn the ways we can help the affected, understand the magnitude of this devastating natural disaster, and acknowledge what hurricanes are.
Before we discuss the specifics of Hurricane Melissa, we must be knowledgeable about what a normal hurricane is. Hurricane is how they are referred to in the Eastern North Pacific, North Atlantic regions, and the Caribbean; however, they are commonly known as tropical cyclones. Tropical cyclones are storms associated with large rain, low atmospheric pressure, and intense winds. This type of fierce circular storm derives above warm waters, supporting its strength by gaining energy from the ocean. These aggressive storms can even get wild when winds pass 119 km (74 miles) per hour. These brutal storms will now be classified as hurricanes. In the meantime, in rare cases, winds could exceed 320 km (two hundred miles) (Zehnder). For reference, Hurricane Melissa had winds of 298 km (185 miles) when it reached Jamaica (Rafferty)! A mix of torrential rain and powerful winds causes a dangerous crossover known as storm surge, raising the sea level to six meters (20 feet). Hurricanes or cyclones target coastal and tropical or sub-tropical regions. In between the summer months, these dangerous natural disasters hit places like the northwestern region of Australia, the Gulf Coast of North America, to Bangladesh and the eastern parts of India (Zehnder).
The last piece of information that is important for completely understanding hurricanes is the anatomy of one. A hurricane's eye experiences warm temperatures, clear skies, and low atmospheric pressure. It typically faces calm conditions amidst horrific conditions around it! The eye ordinarily endures 960 millibars compared to Earth’s 1,000 but could go lower (Zehnder). For example, Hurricane Melissa had a lowest of 892 millibars (Rafferty). The eyewall, which is next to the eye, is the most devastating component of a hurricane. It encounters tremendous rainfall, extreme winds, and dense convective clouds elevated to 15,000 meters (49,000 feet). Finally, rainbands from which the spiral originate from the center. When a tropical cyclone makes landfall, it surges convergence and surface tension, causing torrential rain (Zehnder).
It is now time to advance to the specifics of Hurricane Melisaa. Melissa began near western Africa during the middle of October 2025 as an atmospheric disturbance. In the late morning of the 21st of October, traveling to the Caribbean Sea, the weather system merged from an expanse of scattered storms into a tropical storm, turning into a more structured storm in the process. The National Hurricane Center by NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and the World Meteorological Organization gave a name for this young tropical storm. Melissa halted and floated near the central Caribbean, gaining energy through the warm water underneath it. Throughout the 21st and 28th of October, the tropical storm was moving at a slow 3 (about 5 km) miles per hour, heading in the west-northwest direction. Tropical Storm Melissa, on the afternoon of the 25th of October, finally matured into a Category 1 hurricane (not immensely powerful or dangerous). Unfortunately, Melissa quickly increased power over three days before touching the land. The young storm had the highest sustained winds of 160 miles (about 258 km) per hour, intensifying into a devastating Category 5 hurricane (extremely dangerous and powerful). Nonetheless, the beast still becomes more powerful for another full day, reaching sustained winds at 185 miles (about 298 km) per hour (Rafferty).
The dreaded time had come. Melissa hit Jamaica with full fury at 1:PM (EDT) on the 28th of October. It first stepped into town in Westmoreland Parish, Jamaica. The hurricane moved away from the northern coast of Jamaica and instead progressed across western Jamaica by 5 PM (EDT), leaving behind ruins. Melissa briefly lost its warm water source, decreasing its sustained wind speed to 145 miles (223 km) per hour. With the decrease in winds, at 3:10 AM (EDT), the hurricane slammed into its next victim, Cuba. The hurricane entered near Chivirico, located in the Santiago de Cuba province. Melissa marched through the island, exiting from the other side near Guardalavaca. The beast slipped into the Atlantic Ocean, decreasing drastically into a Category 2 hurricane (quite powerful but not extremely dangerous); its sustained winds topping out at one hundred miles (about 161 km) per hour. Melissa’s final suffer is the Bahamas, hitting the island with a lower ninety miles (144 km) per hour sustained winds and as a category one hurricane. After traveling away from the now destroyed islands, the hurricane passed between 130 miles (209.2 km) of Bermuda during the overnight October 30th (Rafferty).
The catastrophic destruction is over, and the beast has left behind a demolished Jamaica, ruined Cuba, and a wrecked Bahamas. The worst is yet to happen-the aftermath. Seventy percent of Jamaica's and most of eastern Cuba’s electricity was wiped out by the morning of the 29th of October. Additionally, news sources have not given precise or necessarily reliable information on the damage inflicted by Melissa on Jamaica. Although it is clear the victim islands have all encountered massive devastation. Several examples of the destruction that took place in Jamaica included the wreckage that littered everywhere in developed areas, roofless buildings, and the roots of palm trees exposed. Moreover, mudslides occurred, and farmlands became submerged in water, both caused by a torrential downpour. The unfortunate seaside town named Black River, existing in Jamaica’s St. Elizabeth Parish region, was the most affected and the area that directly took Melissa’s rage. A storm surge of sixteen feet (4.9 meters) in height caused the town to be plunged into water, while rain and wind took care of the rest, making 90 percent of the houses roofless. The absence of electricity and streets engulfed in muddy water were the last things the residents needed (Rafferty).
On the other hand, we never talked about Cuba’s extensive damage. Cuba faced similar challenges and devastation as Jamaica, with flash flooding and storm surges alike taking place on the southern coast of the island. The southern coast also experiences heavy annelation of buildings and the now usual landslides. Fortunately, evacuation efforts were underway before Melissa reached the coast. Officials evacuated an estimated 735,000 people. On the flipside, many folks living in remote neighborhoods were detached from the rest of the island because of Melissa. An unlucky 100,000 Cubans were left isolated by overflowing rivers. Leaving Cuba, the Bahamas were pushed into an exhausted but still violent storm. According to Britannica, “Although many people in Jamaica, Cuba, and the Bahamas are feared dead or injured, casualty reports thus far have been largely scattered” (Rafferty). In simpler terms, we cannot conclude with numbers, but many may be harmed. The mayor of Petit-Goâve has reported twenty-five people deceased in a town on Haiti’s westward-facing southern peninsula. The deaths were caused because of Hurricane Melissa’s intense rains from the hurricane’s outer-lying bands overflowing the La Digue river (Rafferty).
Hurricane Melissa, a system that originated near Africa, turned into a mighty Category 5 hurricane, flipping Jamaica, Cuba, and the Bahamas upside down. At the time of writing the article, it was said that there were sixty-seven confirmed deaths and nearly four billion dollars in damages, according to NBC News (Li and Cusumano). Chances are; these could grow. There are still hundreds of thousands of people who are trapped in debris, starving, and without the basic needs of a human (Smith and Lavietes).
However, it is in your hands whether you are going to read this article and move on or help the affected. One way you can help is by donating to reputable organizations that will use the donated money to directly help the victims caught by Melissa. A few examples of these organizations are the Red Cross, The Salvation Army, IFRC, and United Way (Pasquini and Adams; Yancey-Bragg and Neeley; “Jamaica: Hurricane Melissa | IFRC”). Furthermore, another way you can aid in these efforts is by going in person and donating food and supplies to local schools, centers, and more. Any Valley Stream North High School student can directly contribute to the relief in Jamaica by giving supplies to their school.
Websites:
Jamaica : Hurricane Melissa | IFRC
Hurricane Melissa | Path, Jamaica, & Facts | Britannica
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clylqpyg8pjo
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