Bahamas Jamaica struggles with hurricane aftermath: 130 roads blocked
In Jamaica, rescue workers are trying to clear more than 130 roads blocked by Hurricane Melissa on foot and in some cases with machetes. "At the moment, it is a matter of providing people with food and helping those who may be injured," said Education and Information Minister Dana Morris Dixon. The situation in the west of the country is "staggering". Two days after the storm passed through, numerous communities in the Caribbean state are still cut off from the outside world.
30.10.2025, 19:03
30.10.2025, 19:04
SDA
Holland Bamboo Avenue in the St. Elizabeth district, which is popular with tourists, is blocked by fallen bamboo canes. The tall specimens of this grass plant form an impressive natural tunnel around four kilometers long. The road was originally created in the 17th and 18th centuries by the owners of a sugar plantation. "There are hundreds of bamboo plants. The helpers are trying to make a way through," Morris said at a press conference.
Reports of deaths are difficult to confirm, according to the authorities
Due to the devastation, the authorities do not have an official death toll for Jamaica. Numerous possible bodies have been reported. However, this information could not be verified due to the difficult conditions on the ground, said the minister.
According to police reports, at least nine people died on the island with its 2.8 million inhabitants, as reported by local media. "Melissa" has claimed the lives of more than 30 people in the Caribbean, 24 of them in Haiti.
Hurricane "Melissa" is heading towards Bermuda
"Melissa" first hit Jamaica on Tuesday (local time) as a category 5 hurricane. According to the US hurricane center NHC, it was one of the strongest hurricanes ever to hit the Atlantic. It caused storm surges, destructive winds and heavy rainfall. The government declared the island a disaster area.
The storm then hit Cuba on the same day with hurricane force 3. "Melissa" then moved across the Bahamas on Wednesday with wind speeds of the lowest category 1. The storm is now heading towards Bermuda in the North Atlantic.
