The scale of the destruction left by Hurricane Melissa as it swept through Jamaica is now being revealed by the first satellite photos, writes UNN with reference to Sky News.
Details
On Tuesday, the storm's epicenter hit the island's southwest coast, 120 kilometers from the capital, Kingston.
Before and after images from Vantor satellites show the impact of winds of nearly 298 km/h on the town of Black River, the administrative center of St. Elizabeth Parish.
The damage is significant. Some homes and businesses have lost their roofs, while others have been completely destroyed.
The covered food market lies in ruins. As does St. John's Anglican Church, one of the oldest in Jamaica – only its bell tower remains.
Further along the coast is the fishing village of White House.
The streets have turned into piles of debris. The wind has stripped the leaves from the trees.
Western Jamaica is the country's breadbasket, important for food production.
But the fields are underwater, flooded by up to a meter of rainfall that fell as the massive storm system passed.
On the northwest coast is the resort of Montego Bay.
The container terminal and oil storage tanks at the port were inundated by storm surge and surrounded by water.
An estimated 400,000 people in Jamaica have been affected by the hurricane.
And the cost of the destruction is enormous. Analysts at Enki Research estimate the bill at $7.63 billion. This is more than a third of Jamaica's GDP. It will take months and international support to get Jamaica back on its feet, the publication notes.
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