Hurricane Melissa hit the island of Jamaica with 185mph winds, devastating entire communities and leaving vast areas without power and some without water. Seventy water systems out of the island’s 700 are inoperable, according to the country’s Information Minister, Dr. Dana Morris Dixon. The BBC reports:
Five days after Hurricane Melissa pummelled into western Jamaica with record force, residents in devastated communities along the coast are still desperately waiting for help.
Many of the roads are blocked by debris and people are isolated with little food, no power or running water, and no idea of when normalcy will return.
The government said on Saturday that at least 28 people in Jamaica have died since the hurricane hit as a monster category five storm with 185 mph (297km/h) sustained winds.
That is a near 50% jump in the death toll overnight, and the number could rise as officials clear their way into new parts of the island in the coming days.
Action Line: Please prepare your family for disasters before they hit. Water is your top priority. You can’t live without it. If you don’t already have a water storage plan, read my special report: Emergency Water Storage: How Much, Containers, Purification & More.
