Hurricane Melissa is heading towards the Bahamas after leaving at least 32 dead

BarcelonaThe hurricane Balm, one of the strongest ever recorded in the Atlantic, continues the path of destruction after crossing Jamaica and Cuba. When it struck Jamaica on Tuesday at midday, the hurricane was a Category 5, the highest category, generating sustained winds of up to 295 km/h (185 mph). Melissa has been the strongest storm to hit the island since records began 174 years ago. It ripped off roofs, uprooted trees, and caused landslides and widespread flooding. On Wednesday, more than 25,000 people were crowded into shelters, and the country's education minister said that 77% of the island was without power.

After devastating this small island in the Antilles, the hurricane's intensity decreased as it made its way toward Cuba, where it arrived at midday (8 a.m. in the region) as a Category 3 hurricane with winds of 190 km/h (110 mph). Hours later, it had weakened to a Category 2 and moved away from Cuban territory toward the Bahamas.

As the day progressed in the Antilles, damage assessments were underway, but so far only a provisional death toll has been released. According to the Associated Press, at least 32 deaths have been reported: 23 in Haiti – where ten people are also missing – eight in Jamaica, and one in the Dominican Republic, where one person is also missing.

Despite having weakened, meteorological authorities warned that the Balm It was still a threat to life due to the rising sea level and the heavy rains, flooding, and landslides it had generated in eastern Cuba, in the Santiago de Cuba area, and also in other countries in the region. Haiti and the Dominican Republic also faced severe flooding and catastrophic landslides. This Wednesday afternoon, Catalan time, it was still moving as a Category 2 hurricane toward the Bahamas and was expected to then pass through Bermuda. Bahamian authorities are evacuating dozens of people from the southeast of the archipelago before the hurricane makes landfall. "We've had about five flights so far," explained Alex Storr, executive chairman of the Bahamas Disaster Management Authority, who added that at least four more flights were expected during the day. More than 730,000 Cubans had been evacuated from the areas in the hurricane's projected path before it arrived. In fact, one of the most powerful storms since the passage of theIrma in 2017.

As for Jamaica, it was the strongest hurricane to ever hit the country. There were still 15,000 people in refuge and half a million residents without electricity on Wednesday. Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness declared the island a "disaster zone" on Tuesday and warned of the hurricane's "devastating impacts." "The reports we have received so far include damage to hospitals, significant damage to residential properties, homes, and commercial properties," he explained Tuesday night. On Wednesday, when the eye of the hurricane had already moved away from Jamaica, the small island was getting back on its feet to assess the damage and evaluate the situation.

"An unprecedented disaster"

"The first signs show that the hurricane Balm "It has been an unprecedented disaster for the island," Alexander Pendry, head of global response for the British Red Cross, who was in Jamaica, told the BBC. "Reports are already coming in that entire communities are underwater and that the damage caused by the strong winds has been devastating," he added. The priority now is providing medical attention, shelter, drinking water, or food to everyone who needs it.

The US National Hurricane Center warned Wednesday morning that the storm could still bring an additional 7 to 15 cubic centimeters of rain per square meter to some mountainous areas, which could trigger landslides, significantly complicating rescue efforts as well as cleanup and damage assessment.

He Balm It tied as the strongest hurricane ever to make landfall anywhere in the Atlantic, with sustained wind speeds of 295 km/h, and also tied with the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane in intensity, with a central pressure of 892 millibars. This is an extremely low and almost unprecedented pressure, tied for the third lowest ever recorded in a hurricane globally.

In Cuba, the government boasted on Wednesday about its preparedness for extreme events of this kind, which had allowed for the evacuation of 730,000 people before the arrival of the BalmThe country conducts annual drills to prepare for disasters of this kind, which are common and increasingly frequent due to the climate crisis. However, the island's infrastructure is severely deteriorated, and the electrical system has suffered several blackouts in recent months. The passage of the Balm He has once again brought out Fidel Castro's brother, Raúl Castro, to address the population: "We will emerge victorious from this latest challenge," he told them. Raúl Castro relinquished his post as first secretary of the ruling Communist Party in 2021, handing power to Miguel Díaz-Canel.

The Balm It will weaken further, but will also pick up speed as it moves northeast, passing through the Bahamas later today and then on to Bermuda on Thursday, when it is still expected to be a Category 1 hurricane.