The UK government is organizing flights to assist British citizens in departing Jamaica following the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa. Authorities are arranging aircraft to evacuate British nationals as the death toll from the catastrophic natural disaster continues to climb. Jamaica has confirmed five fatalities, while Haiti has reported at least 20 deaths due to flooding triggered by the category five hurricane.
With wind speeds reaching 185mph, Hurricane Melissa stands as one of the most intense Atlantic hurricanes on record. The UK has pledged £2.5 million in emergency humanitarian aid to Jamaica. Keir Starmer expressed his shock at the footage depicting the destruction caused by the hurricane, while Prime Minister Boris Johnson informed Members of Parliament that HMS Trent and specialized rapid deployment teams are positioned in the region to provide support.
Residents are stranded without power and facing damaged infrastructure in the aftermath of the floods, as Hurricane Melissa, now downgraded to a category one storm, is expected to bring more strong winds and heavy rainfall.
In Jamaica, over 25,000 individuals sought refuge in shelters on Wednesday after the storm tore roofs off their homes. Dana Morris Dixon, Jamaica’s education minister, revealed that 77% of the island is currently without electricity.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness assured the public in a statement that the government is fully mobilized to lead the recovery efforts. Relief supplies are being readied, and measures are being taken to swiftly restore normalcy.
Describing the devastation in the southwest coastal town of Black River, Prime Minister Holness remarked that it was akin to ground zero, with residents still grappling with the aftermath.
The power outages have complicated damage assessment due to a complete communication blackout in certain areas, as noted by Richard Thompson, acting director general of Jamaica’s Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management in an interview with the Nationwide News Network radio station.
