Hundreds of thousands evacuate as Hurricane Melissa hits eastern Cuba

SANTIAGO DE CUBA: Hundreds of thousands of people were evacuated in eastern Cuba, and a hurricane warning was in effect for the provinces of Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantanamo, Holguin and Las Tunas as Hurricane Melissa made landfall as a Category 3 storm early Wednesday (Oct 29).

The storm, which has since been downgraded to Category 2, was expected to generate a storm surge of up to 3.6 metres in the region and drop up to 51 centimetres of rain in parts of eastern Cuba.

Melissa was expected later Wednesday to move through the southeastern or central Bahamas, where a hurricane warning is in effect.

The hurricane has already been blamed for seven deaths in the Caribbean, including three in Jamaica, three in Haiti, and one in the Dominican Republic, where another person remains missing.

Meanwhile, authorities in Jamaica are assessing the damage from Melissa after it tore through the island nation Tuesday as the fifth most intense Atlantic hurricane on record by pressure, and the strongest to make landfall since 2019.

"COMMUNICATIONS BLACKOUT"

In Jamaica, officials told local radio there was extensive damage in the island’s southwestern and northwestern regions.

“There’s a total communication blackout on that side,” said Richard Thompson, acting director general of Jamaica’s Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management.

More than half a million customers were without power late Tuesday as officials reported that most of the island had downed trees, power lines, and extensive flooding.

Extensive damage was reported in parts of Clarendon in the south and in the southwestern parish of St. Elizabeth, which was “under water,” said Desmond McKenzie, deputy chairman of Jamaica’s Disaster Risk Management Council.

The storm damaged four hospitals and left one without power, forcing officials to evacuate 75 patients, McKenzie said.