WASHINGTON, D.C. – New data shows Hurricane Melissa, the Category Five storm that devastated Jamaica in October, had record-breaking wind gusts at 252 miles per hour. It’s the strongest hurricane wind ever recorded. The storm left its mark in the Caribbean, especially on the island of Jamaica where crews are still working on recovery efforts.
It made landfall in Jamaica as a Category Five storm before it progressed towards Cuba, the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic and Haiti. In Jamaica, officials said about three-fourths of the country was left without electricity. Their infrastructure took a beating, including their farms and fisheries.
The storm killed more than 50 people, mostly in Jamaica and Haiti. It was one of the most powerful storms in the Atlantic in more than 150 years.
“We were able to mobilize 37-million dollars to the Caribbean response and that included 22-million to Jamaica,” said Mignon Houston, the Deputy Spokesperson for the US Department of State. “We brought in and provided critical supplies right to the communities who needed them. That was 779-thousand worth of response commodities. It was really a tremendous coordinated effort.”
Weeks after the storm, the State Department said they are seeing more stability in places like Jamaica but more needs to be done to get things fully up and running again.
“We have seen communities where we’ve seen water filtration systems run again,” said Houston. “We have communication networks that are restored, critical supply lines have been restored.”
The US Better Business Bureau is also issuing warnings about scams targeting residents and donors in the aftermath of Melissa. They said some of these scammers will try to steal money or personal information. The State Department is urging people who want to help or receive help, to make sure they are working with trusted entities and organizations.
“When there is a crisis, there are individuals unfortunately who try to take advantage,” said Houston. “What we ask is for the people of Jamaica to continue to be vigilant.”