Hurricane Melissa has wreaked havoc in parts of the Caribbean in recent days after first making landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday evening as a Category 5 storm, the highest strength. It was the most powerful storm to hit the island nation, with winds reaching 185 mph at its peak.
Western parts Jamaica hit the hardest, with 90% of the homes in Black River losing their roofs or being completely destroyed. Roughly three-quarters of the country lost power, with at least 19 people known to have died at press time. Cleanup efforts were hampered by thunderstorms even after Melissa headed north. The hurricane continued to move north, but by the time it made landfall in Cuba, it had become a somewhat weakened Category 3 hurricane. However, the storm continued to bring winds of up to 120 mph and heavy rainfall.
Haiti was particularly hard hit by flash floods and landslides, at least 30 people believed result in being killed.
Melissa continued its journey northeast toward Bermuda and the Bahamas and is expected to become a post-tropical system as it quickly moves into the Atlantic.
Meanwhile, in the Indian Ocean, Cyclone Monta has moved towards southeast India over the past few days. The storm made landfall on Tuesday, causing severe damage to Andhra Pradesh. Ahead of the storm, authorities evacuated 38,000 people from low-lying areas, closed schools and set up relief camps. Rainfall totals were 200-250 mm as the system moved inland, causing widespread flooding. Current estimates put the damage at 53 billion rupees ($603 million), with the agricultural sector hit particularly hard, with at least 120 animals killed.
Finally, persistent heavy rain in Vietnam led to flooding of homes, farmland and UNESCO World Heritage sites in Hue and Hoi An earlier this week. The maximum recorded rainfall in 24 hours was about 1,700 mm, causing the major river to reach its highest level since 1964 at 5.62 metres. Residents moved through the streets in boats while authorities evacuated residents and more than 40,000 tourists. At least 10 people were killed and eight more were missing. More than 128,000 homes were flooded, some with water more than three meters deep. In addition, Vietnam's Ministry of Environment reported that more than 12,300 acres (5,000 hectares) of crops were destroyed and more than 16,000 cattle died. Additionally, landslides in mountainous areas have blocked roads and mountain passes, leaving drivers stranded.
