Hurricane Melissa has unleashed widespread devastation across the Caribbean, with satellite images revealing the storm’s deadly rotation. Footage from the GOES-19 satellite captured the hurricane on October 28, 2023, as it impacted Jamaica and other nearby regions. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported the formation of “mesovortices” around the storm’s eye, which are small-scale rotational features that develop under conditions of significant wind speed and directional differences.
Melissa made landfall in Jamaica as a Category 5 storm, the most severe classification, with winds reaching 185 miles per hour (approximately 295 kilometers per hour). The storm’s intensity has prompted emergency authorities to label it one of the most powerful hurricanes recorded in the Atlantic Ocean. According to Desmond McKenzie, deputy chair of Jamaica’s disaster risk management council, while exact casualty figures remain unavailable, at least four fatalities have been confirmed in the southwest of the island.
The aftermath of Hurricane Melissa has left around 72% of Jamaica without power, and approximately 65% of mobile phone sites are nonoperational. In neighboring Haiti, reports indicate at least 25 fatalities due to severe flooding, with an additional 18 individuals reported missing.
As the storm continued its path, Cuba experienced Melissa as a Category 3 hurricane on October 29. While there have been no reported deaths there, many communities are still grappling with power outages, disrupted internet access, and downed telephone lines due to damaged transformers and power infrastructure.
By the morning of October 30, Hurricane Melissa had weakened to a Category 2 storm, with sustained winds nearing 105 miles per hour (around 169 kilometers per hour515 miles (about 830 kilometers) southwest of Bermuda, which remains under a hurricane warning as the situation evolves.
Human-driven climate change has been linked to the increasing intensity of hurricanes, raising concerns among scientists and emergency management officials alike. As the Caribbean continues to recover from this devastating event, the impact of Hurricane Melissa serves as a stark reminder of the growing frequency and severity of extreme weather conditions.
