Hurricane Melissa ripped through Jamaica’s historic Black River, flattening its famed bamboo tunnel and leaving up to 90% of structures roofless. Soldiers hacked through debris to reopen roads as helicopters dropped food to isolated communities the government called ground zero. More than 60% of Jamaica lacks power and nearly half its water systems are offline; residents gathered water-soaked goods amid mud-slicked streets. Officials report at least 19 deaths in Jamaica and 31 in Haiti. Cuba evacuated over 735,000 before landfall, reporting infrastructure and crop losses but no deaths.

Prepared by Emily Rhodes and reviewed by editorial team.