After emerging from Jamaica’s north coast, Hurricane Melissa continued its path of destruction northeastward and made its second landfall in the eastern province of Santiago de Cuba on October 29, this time as a Category Three hurricane. No deaths were reported in Cuba; however, over 735,000 people were evacuated. The hurricane threatens to worsen Cuba’s already severe economic crisis, as it has led to blackouts, food and fuel shortages, and extensive damage to homes and crops. Officials in Cuba reported collapsed homes, blocked roads, and roofs blown off buildings. 

From Cuba, Melissa then tracked into the Atlantic Ocean, affecting the Bahamas and later approaching Bermuda, its intensity steadily weakening as it moved over cooler waters. By the time it reached Bermuda, Hurricane Melissa had weakened to a Category 1 storm. The Bahamian government reported extensive flooding, but, thankfully, preemptive evacuations helped to prevent loss of life. 

Although Haiti was not directly hit by Hurricane Melissa, it still endured days of torrential rains, and authorities have reported 31 deaths, along with 20 more missing. In Haiti’s southern town of Petit-Goave, a river burst its banks, killing at least 23 people, including 10 children. Laurent Saint-Cyr, the head of Haiti’s transitional presidential council, said, “It is a sad moment for the country. In addition to the deaths and missing people, there is a lot of material damage: houses have been destroyed, fields flooded, livestock lost, and roads cut off.” Officials fear the rainfall could trigger landslides in already fragile areas, worsening Haiti’s ongoing humanitarian crisis. 

The storm’s rapid intensification over unusually warm Caribbean waters is an extreme cause for concern. Melissa proves that hurricanes are getting stronger, faster due to increasing ocean temperatures – a clear reflection of the trend scientists have long been warning about, in which climate change fuels an increasing amount of destructive storms.