The strongest hurricane in
nearly 200 years hit Jamaica this
week. Moving slowly and lingering on the island, the
powerful Category 5 storm flooded communities, hauled
trees out of the ground, destroyed power lines,
shattered windows, and tore roofs off of homes, and even
caused buildings to collapse.
Upwards of
530,000 people are without electricity, and nearly
15,000 people have been displaced and are now living in
shelters. Four people have died. The World
Meteorological Organization has called Hurricane Melissa
the "Storm of the Century."
Extreme winds
and rainfall pummeled the whole region, leaving
neighboring Caribbean countries like Cuba, Haiti, and
the Dominican Republic also reeling from destruction.
Floods in Haiti dragged away 25 people, who died.
In Cuba, around 735,000 people have been evacuated and
displaced from their homes.
There's a reason
Hurricane Melissa became a mega-storm, and that reason
is climate change. Experts around the world are
in agreement that this hurricane's brutality is almost
certainly directly related to how climate change is
causing ocean water to heat up dramatically. This
hurricane wasn't only intense — it also strengthened
quickly. In only around 24 hours, its punishing
wind speeds grew from 70mph to 140mph, doubling in
speed.
That's why leaders of Caribbean countries
are banding together to demand proper accountability for
this destruction. Since global warming made this storm
so potent, these leaders are asking high-polluting,
wealthy nations to help with their countries' recovery
processes through debt relief and aid. Sign the petition to help
elevate their request!
