Assalamu alaykum - Hurricane Melissa causes widespread loss and damage across Cuba, Haiti and Jamaica
Assalamu alaykum. I’m heartbroken to share what’s happening after Hurricane Melissa - dozens have died and many communities in Cuba, Haiti and Jamaica are left with terrible destruction. Roofs torn off homes, fallen power poles and waterlogged belongings are everywhere, and people are trying to salvage what they can amid the mess.
In Jamaica’s St. Elizabeth parish, a landslide blocked main roads and turned streets into muddy pits. Neighbours were sweeping water from their houses and trying to rescue things while a local high school used as a public shelter had part of its roof ripped away. A resident said she had never seen anything like it in all her years living there.
Melissa hit Jamaica as a catastrophic Category 5 storm with extremely powerful winds before weakening and moving toward Cuba, but even places not directly in the eye of the storm felt the devastation. In southern Haiti, heavy flooding killed many people after a river burst its banks and dozens of homes collapsed. Rescue efforts were hampered by deep floodwaters and damage to roads.
Cuba reported collapsed houses, blocked mountain roads and blown-off roofs, especially in the southwest and northwest. Hundreds of thousands of people were in shelters. One man described the night as hellish and spent the next day covered by a plastic sheet while trying to move around in the rain.
Across Jamaica more than 25,000 people were in shelters, many arriving after losing their roofs and homes. Much of the island was without power as officials worked to assess damage while facing communication blackouts in some areas. There were reports of tragic deaths from falling trees and other storm impacts. The government is trying to reopen airports quickly to get emergency supplies in.
In eastern Cuba, people began clearing debris around damaged homes and hospitals. Flooding was severe in parts of Granma province, and some towns recorded very heavy rainfall. Leaders warned that recovery will be difficult and costly and urged people to take the danger seriously.
Relief teams from other countries are coordinating with authorities in the region to help with rescue and recovery. The storm was moving toward the Bahamas and could affect other islands in the coming days.
Please keep the victims and their families in your du’as. If you can, consider supporting trustworthy relief organizations that help Muslims and others affected by disasters - even small donations or making known duas can comfort those suffering. May Allah protect the affected communities, ease the hardships of the displaced, accept the deceased, and grant patience and strength to everyone working on rescue and recovery.
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