Hurricane Melissa has left a path of destruction across the Caribbean, striking Jamaica, Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Haiti with catastrophic force.
The Category 5 storm, one of the most powerful ever recorded in the region, has caused widespread flooding, loss of life, and severe destruction to homes and infrastructure.
St Elizabeth is surrounded by scenes of devastation. The damage is extensive
Jamaica: A nation in shock
Melissa made landfall in Jamaica with winds reaching up to 185mph, tearing roofs from houses and flooding entire neighbourhoods. More than 530,000 people remain without power, and roads are blocked by fallen trees and landslides. The government has declared a national disaster, with at least eight fatalities confirmed and fears that the number will rise.
Cuba: Massive evacuations and heavy losses
In Cuba, authorities evacuated more than 700,000 residents from high-risk zones before the storm hit. Melissa struck the eastern provinces with torrential rain and violent winds, damaging hospitals, homes, and farmland. While no deaths have yet been confirmed, thousands of families face displacement and urgent humanitarian needs.
Haiti and the wider region
Haiti, already vulnerable from previous natural disasters, has been hit by severe flooding. At least 25 people have died, many swept away in rising waters around Petit-Goâve. Roads and bridges have collapsed, and access to isolated communities remains difficult. Across the region, the combined death toll has exceeded 30.
The southern Bahamas have also been severely affected. This is an extremely poor area, with extensive flooding and widespread roof loss reported in the southern end of Long Island. There are still no updates from the southernmost islands, as most residents were evacuated, but significant damage is expected due to the fragile construction common in poorer communities.
There is also a large Haitian immigrant community in the southern Bahamas, and many of them may not have evacuated because of their undocumented status, raising concerns for their safety and wellbeing.
The storm has caused widespread flooding, loss of life, and severe destruction to homes and infrastructure
Humanitarian response
Hurricane Melissa intensified at an unprecedented rate, a pattern scientists link to warmer ocean temperatures. For island nations already facing economic hardship, such storms underline the urgent need for global help.
Local authorities, churches, and aid agencies are working tirelessly to restore communication, deliver food and water, and provide shelter for those who have lost everything.
Barnabas Aid is monitoring developments and is collaborating with local partners and church networks to support long-term recovery efforts.
Pastors in Cuba call for prayer amid devastation
Church leaders in Santiago de Cuba have opened their doors to shelter families as Hurricane Melissa batters the island, compounding the destruction left by earlier storms. Pastor Steve A, a BA contact, who has been coordinating relief efforts with partner churches, shared that “many homes are made of zinc sheets which will all be blown away with the high winds”.
One church elder in Santiago expressed his faith amid the suffering, saying, “I pray God has mercy on his children, and if not, I say as Job did: God gave, God took away, blessed be the name of the Lord. Nothing escapes his hands, he is in control, blessed be the name of the Lord.”
Please continue to pray for our brothers and sisters as they face these devastating storms.
A Prayer for the Caribbean
Merciful God, we lift before You the people of Jamaica, Cuba and the wider region. Comfort those who mourn, strengthen those who have lost homes and livelihoods, and grant wisdom and endurance to all who bring relief.
May Your peace surround these nations amid destruction, and may hope take root again where despair has fallen. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
