Hurricane Melissa, which started as a tropical wave off the coast of west Africa, made landfall in the Caribbean Oct. 28. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) began tracking the storm on Oct. 16 and saw it transform into a hurricane on Oct. 25. Jamaica is fighting a major battle due to this hurricane.

Hurricane Melissa rapidly intensified to a Category 5 storm with 185 mph winds, making it one of the strongest hurricanes on record to make landfall. It devastated Jamaica, causing catastrophic damage and significant loss in lives and for businesses and homes.

“I feel devastated, heartbroken and scared. Everyday my family and I wish for the best and keep in touch with family,” senior Caitlan Campbell said.

Jamaica is now known as a danger zone after roofs flew off, power lines collapsed and 2.8 million people were left without power. This was estimated to cost between $48-$52 billion in damages and economic losses across the western Caribbean.

Scientists were particularly interested in how the storm grew so rapidly and how its slow movement, combined with unusually warm ocean waters, allowed it to maintain such drastic intensity. It is one of the most intense landfall hurricanes, being tied with a Labor Day hurricane from 1935.

It has been estimated that Jamaica has gotten 50 inches of rain in one day, which equates to two years worth of rain in Florida. In Jamaica, it has been reported that 77% of homes and businesses are without power and they are still without food and water, but are greatly being helped by the allied countries such as Columbia, UK, U.S., Japan, El Salvador and the Cayman Islands. First responders are also helping by quickly getting people to shelter and safety.

Not only did Hurricane Melissa deliver chaos to Jamaica, it also caused more catastrophe to the western side of the Caribbean, including Cuba, Bermuda, Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic) and the Greater Antilles.

“It has devastated some parts of our country but we are getting a lot of aid from all over which is heartwarming to see and we are slowly rebuilding. I’m confident that we are resilient and we will build back stronger from this,” biology teacher Milissa Henry said.

Cuba was the second most devastated place after the catastrophic storm. The eastern side of Cuba’s essential services like electricity, internet and water were disrupted. Moreover, many health, education and community facilities were damaged, leaving over three million Cubans in life threatening conditions.

Bermuda was also harmed by Hurricane Melissa as it caused outages for nearly 20,000 people. Although the storm toppled utility poles and other minor infrastructure damages, the island was spared from the worst of the storm’s devastation. The hurricane passed on the west of Bermuda, so the island’s damage was minimal compared to the other catastrophic impact to the Caribbean.

The Dominican Republic and Haiti also had major damages to their island. Even though there were major damages to the southern side of Hispaniola, there were particularly more catastrophic damages to Haiti. Haiti had extensive flooding and landslides caused by long and heavy rainfall.

“My father has friends who have family there and now they have to fly to Florida from Jamaica because they have lost their homes,” freshman Charlie Klistberg said.

There were also several destroyed homes and businesses due to the catastrophic hurricane. In Haiti, many of the victims in the storm died when a river overflowed in Petit-Goave. A full assessment is ongoing, as there are still areas that authorities have not been able to access.

There are many websites and resources where people can aid Jamaica. Some include the Broward County Library, the American Red Cross, and Project Hope. People can donate money to provide food, water and other necessary resources. It supplies important aid to help Jamaicans and other people from the Caribbean slowly build their lives back together.

As of Tues., Nov. 4, the catastrophic hurricane has killed at least 32 people in Jamaica. There were at least 23 people who were confirmed dead in Haiti and one in the Dominican Republic as a result of the flooding and other related hazards.

It will take a while for Jamaica and other Caribbean islands to rebuild the areas that were severely hit by the hurricane. However, with the help of allied countries, first responders and donations, these countries should be restored soon.