Hurricane Melissa slammed into Jamaica on Tuesday as a Category 5 storm and is now heading to Cuba and other Caribbean islands. The storm has already claimed seven lives — three in Jamaica, three in Haiti and one in the Dominican Republic — and this number is expected to rise, according to CNN.
Christopher Gloninger, a meteorologist and climate scientist, said Hurricane Melissa made landfall at its peak intensity in New Hope, Jamaica, with winds reaching 185 mph. The hurricane is now primarily over the ocean, and there are shifting wind patterns that are gradually weakening the storm.
Jamaica was as prepared as possible, said Prime Minister Andrew Holness in an interview with CNN. Holness explained that the country has around 850 shelters that can hold about 20,000 people.
However, concerns remain regarding recovery.
“If you are hit by a Category 5 hurricane, it will take far more resources than Jamaica has to recover,” said the prime minister.
Hurricane Melissa is the biggest direct hit to the Atlantic basin in history, Gloninger said.
Ahbital Artison, a senior neuroscience student at USC, is a Florida resident familiar with the destruction hurricanes can bring.
“We just prepare with sandbags at the front of our door so water doesn’t leak in,” Artison said. “Usually lights and electricity goes out, so we have candles already prepared, and we kind of just get everything together before.”
With relatives in Jamaica, Artison said she’s worried about the destruction the storm will bring.
“It can be catastrophic, and I’m praying for them,” said Artison.
According to Gloninger, one of the reasons extreme weather events have become more frequent over the past century is due to climate change and human impact on the environment. He believes that this storm would not have been capable of reaching such a level without climate change serving as a key factor.
In recent decades, large-scale international efforts have sought to mitigate the effects of climate change. The United Nations Climate Change Conference, an annual gathering of world leaders focused on environmental policy, is set to take place in two weeks.
“I think there’s going to be a really strong voice coming from developing countries saying [to] look at the damage that [they] are experiencing,” said Shannon Gibson, a professor at USC Dornsife who specializes in environmental studies, political science and international relations.
While the 2015 Paris Agreement aimed to limit carbon dioxide emissions, many developed countries have failed to meet their commitments, Gibson said. Gloninger added that Jamaica has contributed less carbon dioxide emissions than over half the countries participating in the accord.
Gibson noted that wealthier nations, including the United States, have not provided adequate support to its own vulnerable communities facing disasters. She said that this lack of protection extends beyond U.S. borders, as the country has also failed to provide adequate aid to other countries in crisis.
“In the United States, one of the most developed and economically rich countries in the world … we failed to protect vulnerable communities, [which] impacts the loss of houses, schools, property and life, predominantly by communities of color, elderly, unhoused and disenfranchised,” said Gibson.
Meteorologists will continue to monitor Hurricane Melissa as it develops over the coming days. With the storm’s aftermath only beginning to unfold, Gloninger said this is just the start of a long recovery.
“Getting resources to an island following a disaster is always difficult,” Gloninger said, “and we’re going to see that play out in the coming weeks and even months ahead.”