Hurricane Melissa Photos: Destruction In Jamaica And Cuba

Source: RICARDO MAKYN / Getty

Pictures and social media footage have revealed the extensive damage caused by Hurricane Melissa across Jamaica and Cuba since the storm swept through both countries on Tuesday (Oct. 28) and Wednesday (Oct. 29) morning. Officials are still trying to assess the full extent of the destruction and the death toll in both areas.

Hurricane Melissa caused damage and major flooding in parts of Jamaica.

During a press conference on Wednesday, Desmond McKenzie, Jamaica’s Minister of Local Government and Community Development, said it was still too early to determine the full extent of Hurricane Melissa’s damage after the storm made landfall Tuesday, according to NBC News. 

However, he noted that some areas were hit especially hard by the Category 5 hurricane, including western Jamaica, which caught “the brunt of the impact,” according to the official.

“We will have to give you that in the coming days,” he said, adding that central Jamaica also had “a lot of damage, a lot of flooding.”

Black River Hospital in southwest Jamaica was “devastated” by the hurricane.

McKenzie also revealed that Black River Hospital, located in St. Elizabeth, Jamaica, had been “devastated” by the hurricane. An update posted on the Jamaica Information Service website on Oct. 28 confirmed that the hospital sustained significant damage and that power had been disrupted in several areas. In response, emergency protocols were activated, and some patients were relocated earlier as a precautionary measure. 

Videos of Hurricane Melissa tearing through the hospital’s infrastructure were shared on X on Tuesday, including one showing gusting winds ripping off sections of the roof and wiring, and another revealing the extensive damage left in the storm’s aftermath.

The Ministry of Health and Wellness is now working closely with the Southern Regional Health Authority and parish emergency services to stabilize operations.

No word on the death toll in Jamaica.

Officials are still collecting information about potential casualties from Hurricane Melissa. McKenzie added that the government could not yet confirm any deaths despite local reports. CNN noted that three people died in Jamaica during storm preparations, but the government has not issued an official death toll since the hurricane battered the island on Tuesday.

“We have not had alerts of any deaths so far. So we cannot presume that there are deaths,” he said. 

In a video posted to Instagram on Tuesday night, the Jamaican Constabulary Force reported that homes near the police station in southwest Jamaica were damaged, prompting residents to take refuge at the station. 

Officials in the video also confirmed that prisoners are being housed at the same location.

“The priority at this time is to ensure that no life is lost at this facility,” an official with the force said.  

Providing an update during a briefing at the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) in Kingston on Oct. 28, McKenzie stated that nearly 15,000 Jamaicans were currently being accommodated in shelters across the island.

“It is safe to say that our shelters have seen increased numbers. We also notice there are communities where residents have created makeshift shelters, and], in most cases, we were able to get limited supplies to those persons within those shelters,” he said.

Cuba suffered “significant damage” after Hurricane Melissa hit on Wednesday morning. 

According to CNN, Cuba suffered “significant damage” after Melissa made landfall there Wednesday morning as a Category 3 hurricane. Roughly 140,000 people were cut off by rising river levels as the storm lashed the country and pushed toward the Bahamas.

A video shared by Reuters and social media users showed strong gusty winds, heavy rainfall, and severe flooding in the area near Cueto, Holguín Province, Cuba. 

As of 11 a.m. EDT on Oct. 29, the National Hurricane Center reported that damaging winds and heavy rains from Hurricane Melissa were still impacting Cuba and the Bahamas, with a dangerous storm surge expected throughout the day. The storm was located near 21.4° N and 75.6° W—about 150 miles south of the central Bahamas and roughly 1,005 miles southwest of Bermuda—with maximum sustained winds near 100 mph.

Take a look at a few more photos from the destruction caused by Hurricane Melissa below.

1. Flooded homes

Photos by photographer Ricardo Makyn captured severe flooding wrecking homes in Howard Acres, St. Elizabeth, Jamaica, after Hurricane Melissa struck on Oct. 28, toppling trees and cutting power across the island.

2. Rubble

Makyn captured a woman walking on rubble following the passage of Hurricane Melissa in Santa Cruz, St Elizabeth, Jamaica, on Oct. 29.

3. Toppled trees

The powerful hurricane caused trees to topple over in the Long Wood area of  St. Elizabeth, Jamaica. This man’s banana crops were completely destroyed by the powerful winds following the passage of Hurricane Melissa on Wednesday.

4. A collapsed home in Cuba

Photographer Yamil Lage caught a group of men trying to salvage belongings from the rubble of their home after it collapsed during Hurricane Melissa’s passage through Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, on Wednesday. Hurricane Melissa made landfall in eastern Cuba on Wednesday, causing damage and flooding to homes and streets in Santiago de Cuba province, according to reports. 

5. Woman searches for her belongings in Cuba storm

Lage also photographed a woman salvaging belongings from the rubble of her home after it collapsed during Hurricane Melissa’s passage through Santiago de Cuba province. 

6. A family in Cuba struggles to make sense of Hurricane Melissa's destruction

A family was also spotted searching for their belongings from the rubble of their home after it collapsed during Hurricane Melissa’s passage through Santiago de Cuba. Shattered doors and a completely collapsed roof can be seen in the background of Lage’s devastating photo.  

7. Fallen roofs

A resident was photographed sliding over part of the roof of his house, damaged by Hurricane Melissa, in Santiago de Cuba.

8. Severe flooding

Severe flooding could be seen throughout parts of Santiago de Cuba city after the passage of Hurricane Melissa on Wednesday. 

9. A store was destroyed in Jamaica

A store was destroyed near Manchester, Jamaica, following the passage of Hurricane Melissa on Wednesday. 

10. St. Elizabeth resident Celia Coke grapples with lost store

Celia Coke was photographed standing next to her shop, destroyed after the passage of Hurricane Melissa near the Wilton district of St. Elizabeth, Jamaica.