As Hurricane Melissa sweeps past Bermuda, new satellite data of Jamaica has revealed devastation f
or tourist center Montego Bay and much of the Western part of the country.
At least 40% of the buildings and roads in the worst-hit areas on the island were severely damaged, acc
ording to a Bloomberg News analysis of satellite data processed by the Earth Observatory of Singapore.
The hurricane caused the most destruction in Jamaica’s we
stern region, which includes the devastated town of Black River and the heavily-damaged tourist center of Montego B
y. Analysis of satellite data shows that Saint James, Westmoreland and Saint Elizabeth parishes were most affected.
“I have never seen anything like this before,” said Kerry-Lee Lynch, head of United Way of Jamaica, who drove from
Kingston to Montego Bay on Wednesday past downed trees and
power poles. She said the damage from Melissa was worse than the hurricanes that deva
stated the island in years past. “This is more extensive damage tha
n what I saw from Ivan or Beryl. It’s horrific.”
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In Jamaica, soldiers on foot have had to use machetes to cut their way through intertwined bamboo plants
to reach cutoff communities along the island’s western edge, authorities said during a news briefing on Thursday. Bl
ackouts remain a problem with almost 72% of customers lacking electricity.
Read more: Reinsurers Hold Bulk of Jamaica’s Property Exposures From Hurricane Melissa: Reports
“There are entire communities that seem to be marooned and also areas that have been flattened,” Dana
Morris Dixon, Jamaica’s information minister, said in a news briefing on Thursday morning. “Jamaica is really broken.”
Melissa also tore through the country’s farming heartland, where staples such as yams and tomatoes are gr
own for the entire country. Bananas are especially vulnerable during storms because the trees they grow on are fragile, s
aid Damien King, executive director of the Caribbean Policy Research Institute in Kingston. “It has devastated
agricultural areas, and that is going to manifest itself in terms of shortages and food prices,” he said.
The record-setting storm made landfall on Tuesday near New Hope, Jamaica, as a Category 5 hurricane pa
cking winds of 185 miles (298 kilometers) per hour. It was the st
rongest storm to hit the island in more than 170 years of record keeping. At least 19 people have been killed, according
to Agence France Presse, citing comments by Minister Dixon to local media late Thursday.