Civil Protection Presents Assessment of Damage Caused by Hurricane Melissa

During a press conference held this Monday, October 27, 2025, the Director General of Civil Protection, Emmanuel Pierre, presented the assessment of damage caused by the indirect effects of Hurricane Melissa. Three people were killed and sixteen others injured. According to Mr. Pierre, 450 homes were flooded, ten of which were severely damaged. Several roads were damaged and a bridge collapsed in Sainte-Suzanne, in the North-East department.

Furthermore, the head of the Civil Protection Directorate (DPC) announced a series of measures aimed at assisting the population living in regions most exposed to the risks of flooding and landslides. Approximately 350 temporary shelters have been set up in the Grand Sud, where 900 families from Sud, Grand’Anse, and Nippes, who did not feel safe in their homes, have already found refuge in shelters.

Mr. Pierre specified that the red alert is still maintained in the Grand Sud. It could be extended to other regions of the country, notably the West and North-West.

It should be noted that Hurricane Melissa reached Category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale, with winds capable of blowing up to 260 km/h. It is located approximately 230 km southwest of Kingston (Jamaica) and 530 km southwest of Guantánamo (Cuba).

Melissa is accompanied by violent winds and heavy thundery downpours likely to cause, among other things, floods and landslides.