Hurricane Melissa devastates Caribbean farmers and fishers

WhatsApp messages confirmed fisher Prince Davis’s worst fear: Hurricane Melissa punched a hole in his boat and tore the roof from his family home in Jamaica’s Westmoreland. Nearby, farmer Denver Thorpe lost 15 acres of mangoes and two greenhouses. With at least 28 deaths in Jamaica and winds up to 185 mph, one of the strongest landfalling Atlantic hurricanes has battered tens of thousands of small producers. Haiti reports 31 deaths; Cuba faces widespread crop losses. Relief now targets shelter and essentials, but farmers and fishers will soon need cash, seed and gear to rebuild.