Shocking before and after photos reveal extent of Hurricane Melissa devastation
admin 16 hours agoNew York StateComments Off on Shocking before and after photos reveal extent of Hurricane Melissa devastation1 Views
As seen here in this gallery, before-and-after satellite images capture the catastrophic impact of Hurricane Melissa. The first image, on the left, was taken back in February of this year. It shows the Black River in Jamaica, with its coastline fully intact. The second photo, shot on October 29, reveals widespread flooding and wreckage. The storm tore through the Caribbean, leaving at least 30 people dead or missing in Haiti and devastating large parts of Jamaica. The UN’s resident coordinator in Jamaica described the destruction as unlike anything the island has ever seen before. (Picture: AFP via Getty Images)
In the latest images from Black River, the scale of Hurricane Melissa’s impact is stark. Neighbourhoods once dense with homes and shops now appear flattened or submerged, with debris scattered across the coastline. The storm has left thousands of locals displaced and critical infrastructure in absolute ruins, severing power and communication across much of southern Jamaica. As recovery teams struggle to reach the worst-hit areas, Melissa continues its path through the Caribbean, closing in on the Bahamas with the potential to unleash further flooding and destructive winds. (Picture: AFP via Getty Images)
Satellite images of White House, Jamaica, reveal how Hurricane Melissa has completely wiped out a once-thriving fishing village. In early October, neat rows of boats and huts lined the shore. A few weeks later, little remains but wreckage and mud. The storm’s surge levelled coastal homes and swept away livelihoods, part of the unprecedented destruction that has left Jamaica reeling and the wider Caribbean counting its dead (Picture: Vantor/AFP via Getty Images)
Hurricane Melissa is among the most powerful storms to strike the Caribbean in half a century, rivaling the devastation of Hurricane Gilbert back in 1988 and Hurricane Ivan in 2004. Meteorologists say Melissa’s intensity underscores the growing impact of climate change on the region, where warmer seas are fuelling stronger, slower-moving hurricanes that cause greater flooding and destruction (Picture: AFP via Getty Images)
This pair of satellite images shows how Hurricane Melissa transformed the Barnett River area along Montego Bay. And not for the better. The first captures a calm stretch of water winding through green farmland; the second reveals a landscape drowned in brown floodwater, with homes and roads barely visible. The once-peaceful riverside now lies buried under mud and debris, a stark indicator indeed of the storm’s unflinching ferocity (Picture: REUTERS)
In the neighbourhood of Lacovia Tombstone, rows of damaged houses stand amid scattered debris, their roofs ripped away and walls crumbled by Hurricane Melissa’s force. The small community, once sheltered by hills and farmland, now faces a long recovery as residents pick through what remains of their homes. Relief efforts are underway, but many families have lost everything. (Picture: AP)
In Port-au-Prince, Haiti, rows of makeshift shelters covered with tarps show the vulnerability of those bracing for Hurricane Melissa. Thousands of displaced families live in flood-prone camps, with little protection against the expected deluge. Authorities warned that heavy rain and landslides could prove catastrophic. And, sadly, that was to be the case. Deepening Haiti’s ongoing humanitarian crisis even further. (Picture: Anadolu via Getty Images)
An aerial view of the flooded Wilton community in St. Elizabeth, Jamaica, shows entire neighbourhoods submerged after Hurricane Melissa’s passage. Roads have vanished beneath muddy water and fields lie destroyed, cutting off access to many homes. The storm’s power has left Jamaica struggling to recover as Melissa moves toward the Bahamas, still carrying the potential for heavy rains and damaging winds. (Picture: RICARDO MAKYN/AFP via Getty Images)
Meanwhile the Black River Market shows the heart of Jamaica’s St. Elizabeth reduced to rubble. Once a bustling hub of trade, the market’s roof has collapsed, stalls lie twisted in debris, and floodwaters snake through the wreckage. The destruction has crippled local livelihoods, leaving vendors and residents alike facing an uncertain future as recovery efforts begin. (Picture: RICARDO MAKYN/AFP via Getty Images)
In Petit Goave, a resident bends to scoop floodwater from their home, a small act of control amid widespread chaos. Torrential rain from the hurricane’s outer bands has already claimed several lives in Haiti, where fragile infrastructure and poor drainage have turned entire neighbourhoods into shallow, debris-filled lakes. (Picture: REUTERS)
Streets in the coastal commune have been left flooded. Homes and shops sit half-submerged, their contents swept into the road. Across the Caribbean, scenes like this tell the story of a region battered but still enduring. (Picture: REUTERS)
