The Jamaican government has begun reaching communities hardest hit by Hurricane Melissa, nearly a week after the historic storm tore through the western part of the island.
According to FOX Weather, officials reported that the first wave of aid and fuel arrived in Westmoreland Parish on Sunday, assisted by a U.S. State Department Disaster Relief Task Force. Many buildings and key infrastructure in Westmoreland, St. Elizabeth, and St. James Parishes were destroyed by Melissa’s eyewall and winds up to 185 mph at landfall.
U.S. forces are assisting with ongoing search and rescue missions, according to the Jamaica Information Service.
FOX Weather Correspondent Robert Ray, who rode out the Category 5 hurricane east of Montego Bay, documented the slow progress of government relief convoys to Black River, one of the towns nearest the storm’s landfall. Roads were lined with downed power lines, and survivors reported their homes were destroyed and lacked food and water.
“My five kids are homeless,” a Black River mother told Ray.
“The mountains are bald, there is no vegetation in these mountains,” Ray added, noting that stripped leaves and bark indicate extreme wind speeds often seen in the strongest tornadoes.
Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness said the death toll currently stands at 28, while flooding in Haiti has claimed at least 28 lives as well.
Many of the hardest-hit areas in Jamaica remain without power as aid trickles in from the government, NGOs, charities, and foreign governments. Holness met with The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency over the weekend to coordinate additional regional support.
U.S. Charge d’Affaires Scott Renner said the United States has provided $11 million in immediate assistance, covering food for 40,000 people, installation of six water treatment systems, and emergency shelter supplies. A U.S. Department of State-led Task Force, including three CH-47 Chinook helicopters and first responders from Virginia and California, arrived in Kingston on Saturday.
With winds reaching 185 mph, Melissa is tied with Dorian, Wilma, Gilbert, and the Labor Day storm for the second-highest wind speeds recorded in the Atlantic.
“Melissa was as strong and perfectly formed as any hurricane you’re likely to ever see. And in a horrible bit of timing, it peaked just before landfall,” said FOX Weather Hurricane Specialist Bryan Norcross.
Ray compared the destruction to the 2004 Asian tsunami, emphasizing the urgent need for supplies:
“So many people right now are suffering. There is a desperate need for water and food and supplies.”
