Hurricane Melissa struck near Chivirico in eastern Cuba early Wednesday as a Category 3 hurricane, having previously impacted Jamaica as one of the most formidable hurricanes on record in the Atlantic, according to reports from the U.S. National Hurricane Center.
In Cuba, many people sought safety in evacuation centers, with hurricane warnings issued for Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantanamo, Holguin, and Las Tunas.
On Wednesday morning, Melissa’s maximum sustained winds reached an alarming 190 mph, moving northeast at around 16 mph, as indicated by the National Hurricane Center in Miami. The hurricane’s center was located 20 miles east of Chivirico and approximately 90 miles west-southwest of Guantanamo, Cuba.
Melissa was forecasted to traverse the island by midday and make its way toward the Bahamas later in the day.
U.S. meteorologists warned that heavy rainfall could lead to significant flooding and potential landslides. A hurricane watch was also declared for Bermuda.
Previously, Melissa hit Jamaica with sustained winds of up to 185 mph on Tuesday.
The storm has the potential to produce storm surges rising up to 12 feet and dump as much as 20 inches of rain in parts of eastern Cuba.
“We might see considerable landslide activity in those areas,” commented Michael Brennan, director of the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami.
This hurricane could worsen Cuba’s current economic hardships, characterized by ongoing power outages, fuel shortages, and lack of food supplies.
In a televised address, Diaz-Canel noted, “There will be a considerable amount of work ahead. We recognize the damage will be extensive,” assuring that “no one will be neglected, and every resource will be allocated to safeguard our people’s lives.”
He also urged the public to acknowledge Melissa’s overwhelming power, describing it as “the most powerful storm in history to strike the nation.”
Follow The Post’s coverage of Hurricane Melissa
Cuba’s eastern provinces, from Guantanamo to Camaguey, had already canceled classes by Monday in preparation for the storm.
Meanwhile, Jamaican officials were preparing to evaluate the damage from the storm on Wednesday.
Desmond McKenzie, vice-chairman of the Jamaica Disaster Risk Management Council, reported extensive damage in parts of Clarendon and St. Elizabeth, stating that certain areas were “under water.”
There were also reports of severe damage to hospitals, leaving one without power and necessitating the evacuation of 75 patients.
Authorities faced downed trees and power lines, as well as significant flooding. By late Tuesday, over 500,000 customers in Jamaica were without electricity.
The government hopes to have Jamaica’s airports reopened by Thursday to facilitate the rapid distribution of emergency relief supplies.
Tragically, the storm has resulted in at least seven fatalities in the Caribbean, including three in Jamaica, three in Haiti, and one in the Dominican Republic, where one person is still unaccounted for.
