Jamaicans wake up to devastation as hurricanes cause flooding, power outages and tear cities in two
The usual noise that accompanies Jamaican life is quiet this morning as many have done without electricity.
About three-quarters of the island is without power and much of its western side is under water, and homes have been destroyed by strong winds after Hurricane Melissa tore through the island.
As wind and rain pounded through the night, one local official said the destruction resembled “a scene from an apocalypse movie.”
With communication disabilities, the true scale of the crisis remains unknown. Prime Minister Andrew Holness declared the island “The Island of Themini”, warning of “serious” impacts and “major damage” to hospitals, homes and businesses.
Although no deaths have been confirmed, Montego Bay Mayor Richard Vernon told the BBC his first job was to “check to make sure everyone is OK.”
Trees have already been removed from St. Catherine before the storms were made [Getty Images]
Hurricane Melissa, the strongest hurricane to hit Jamaica in modern history, moved across the country on Tuesday, leaving a trail of devastation.
At its peak, the storm sustained winds of 298 km/h (185 mph) – stronger than Hurricane Katrina, which devastated New Orleans in 2005 and killed 1,392 people.
“It’s like an apocalypse movie scene”, the MP for Western Jamaica told Kingston-based reporter Kimone Francis of the Jamaica Gleaaner.
Francis described the night as “oppressive” and “heavy”, marked by strong winds and rain.
“You have no communication. You can’t talk to the people you used to talk to,” he told the BBC World Service Netsetch Service Newsday programme.
Across the coast of central Jamaica, Francis said, floodwaters rose from the roofs of two-story homes.
An unidentified woman told the BBC: “There’s water coming into the roof of my house. I’m not good.”
While no fatalities have been confirmed, Jamaica’s Prime Minister told CNN he feared “there will be some loss of life.” The damage was done to hospitals, schools, homes and businesses.
Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie said on Tuesday afternoon that the south-west region of St Elizabeth was ‘underwater’, with at least three families stuck in their homes in the black community.
“Rescue teams are struggling to reach them because of the dangerous conditions”, said at the press conference.
Verna was weathering the storm secretly in her bedroom at her cottage in the village of Carlisle, St Elizabeth, when the storm tore off her roof.
The 73-year-old vegetable farmer was at home with his sons and grandson when the storm made landfall.
Verna lost contact due to power lines being down. But her UK-based sister, June Powell, spoke to the BBC about what happened.
June said: “She was crying on the phone,” June said, adding: “You’re washed inside and you look up and the roof is gone.'”
She is expected to worry about communication networks being restored so she can talk to her sister.
St Elizabeth, known as Jamaica’s Breadbaskett, produces most of the island’s produce. With crops ruined and fields destroyed, many farmers will struggle to recover financially.
People are making preparations ahead of the storm’s arrival, as the first winds damaged homes in Portmore on Monday [EPA]
On the north coast, Montego Bay – the heart of Jamaica’s tourism industry and home to the main airport – will take time to get back on its feet. This storm has put a hand on the neck of the Jamaican economy.
Montego City was split in two by floodwaters, Mayor Vernon said. He told BBC Breakfast: “As soon as the wind eased, we started getting really heavy rain and that led to massive flooding across the city.”
His immediate concern, he added, was simple: “See if everyone is safe.”
In rural Jamaica, the storm has left people reeling. Tamisha Lee, President of the Jamaican network of rural producers, said: “Now, what I see is a lot of rain, and trees are flying everywhere, and they have a lot of things. No one is worried.
Meteorologists say Hurricane Melissa strengthened at an unprecedented rate, its rapid strengthening attributed to warm Caribbean waters – part of a broader trend linked to climate change.
By the time it hit Jamaica, the storm had reached Category 5 strength, with enough fuel to rip roofs off concrete homes, uproot trees and power poles.
Health authorities even issued a crocodile alert, noting that floods could drive the reptiles into their habitats.
Because thousands of tourists were caught on this island, the storm caused fear and uncertainty.
“I’ve never heard anything like that,” said Pia Chevallier from Cambridge, who was traveling to Jamaica with her 15-year-old son on Saturday.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 live in his dark room, he said: “The glass on the facades and patio areas were all attractive.” Even though they are closed. “
He added: “There is debris everywhere – palm trees, coconuts, branches, everywhere. Big palm trees with all their roots gone.”
On the north coast, Wayne Gibson, a British tourist from Kent Holiday in Ocho Rios with his wife and two daughters, told today’s program of forty and today.
Kyle Holmes from Bolton, visiting Lucea in the North West, described the hotel as a “disaster” and said he had no idea when they would be able to get home.
Hurricane Melissa had moved on to make landfall in Cuba early Wednesday morning, leaving Jamaica paralyzed and silent. Although it has since been downgraded to a Category 3 Hurricane, it remains strong with wind speeds of over 200km/h (124mph).
Jamaica has a disaster – a form of national insurance – that will allow people to allow people to return on foot, but the problem is that this is a temporary transaction.
Additional reporting by Gabriela Pomeray
