Jamaica tallies losses from Hurricane Melissa as more than 2 dozen communities remain cut off
SAN JUAN Puerto Rico AP Agents in Jamaica mentioned Thursday that Hurricane Melissa ripped the roofs off structures when it struck last week affecting several families in the island s western region in the latest tally of the storm s toll More than shelters remain open with people living in them more than a week after the Category storm made landfall according to Alvin Gayle director general of Jamaica s exigency management office Crews are still clearing roads in an attempt to reach communities that remain cut off by landslides and flooding I hear the cry of every baby that is now hungry in a population that is not yet reached It goes to bed with me reported Prime Minister Andrew Holness Roughly half the island remains without power although personnel have set up generators and Wi-Fi hubs in certain communities We are making progress every day in restoring power telecommunications water clearing roads and delivering aid Gayle mentioned We understand these have been chosen challenging times Melissa was one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record with Holness noting that the storm caused at least billion in damage according to preliminary estimates Melissa killed at least people in Jamaica and another in nearby Haiti where others remain missing It also damaged structures in eastern Cuba where bureaucrats evacuated thousands before the storm made landfall last week This Category five hurricane has left a trail of extensive damage impacting nearly six million people explained Jorge Moreira da Silva the U N s under-secretary-general whose Office for Project Services is helping Jamaica with relief and recovery operations Specifically in Jamaica the hurricane has destroyed homes and vital infrastructure amounting to nearly one third of the nation s GDP from last year Holness stated that Melissa affected a few people in Jamaica and that relief operations will be ongoing for several months Follow AP s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https apnews com hub latin-america Source
