A week of wind, water, and heartbreak

From Haiti’s hillsides to Bermuda’s reefs, seven Caribbean nations have been battered, bruised, and forever marked by Hurricane Melissa — a storm that tested not only the region’s infrastructure but its unshakable spirit of unity.

Saturday–Sunday, October 25–26 – The First Strike: Hispaniola

Before the storm even earned its name, torrential rain and flash floods swept across Haiti and the Dominican Republic, claiming lives and tearing through rural communities.

In southern Haiti, rivers burst their banks, swallowing roads and homes; 23 people were confirmed dead by Sunday evening. Across the border, one death was reported in the Dominican Republic as swollen rivers cut off villages in Barahona and Pedernales.

By nightfall, the tropical system had strengthened — and the Caribbean knew it was facing something historic.

Monday, October 27 – Evacuations and Airlifts

In The Bahamas, Prime Minister Philip Davis issued a mandatory evacuation for the MICAL Islands — Mayaguana, Inagua, Crooked Island, Acklins, Long Cay, and Ragged Island.

Bahamasair added extra flights as the nation braced for what forecasters warned could become the strongest storm in nearly two decades.

Meanwhile, Jamaica, Turks & Caicos, and Cuba activated their national emergency operations centers.

Tuesday, October 28 – Jamaica and Haiti Hit Hard

By afternoon, Hurricane Melissa made landfall near St Elizabeth, Jamaica, as a Category 5 hurricane — winds of 185 mph, central pressure 892 mb, the lowest ever recorded so close to the island.

Roads collapsed, bridges washed away, and Black River Hospital lost its roof. Power failed for 72 percent of the island.

BOJ TV footage shows split asphalt, sparking lines, and flooded communities abandoned for safety.

Initially four were reported dead, that grew to seven deaths and heavy damage in 170 communities; Andrew Holness, Jamaican Prime Minister calling it “a national test of resilience.”

Haiti, still recovering from the weekend’s flooding, was hit again as outer bands dumped more rain on Les Cayes and Jacmel, deepening the humanitarian crisis.

Wednesday, October 29 – Crossing to Cuba

Weakened slightly to Category 4 (145 mph), Melissa tracked north-northeast at 8 mph, hammering eastern Cuba with hurricane-force winds

and mudslides. Over 15 000 people were evacuated from Santiago de Cuba and Holguín.

In Turks & Caicos, the Regiment deployed to Grand Turk, Salt Cay, South, North and Middle Caicos, preparing shelters and securing public buildings.

Thursday, October 30 – The Bahamas and the All Clear

Melissa’s speed increased, sparing the northern Caribbean its worst.

The Bahamas Airport Authority closed 13 airports from Mayaguana to Exuma International; none reported casualties, though infrastructure suffered.

In Turks & Caicos, the all-clear came early Thursday after minimal impact.  Premier Washington Misick expressed gratitude and pledged support for neighbors:

“We must act — not only with words, but with compassion and deeds.”

Friday, October 31 – Counting the Cost

By Friday, Melissa had weakened to Category 3 (120 mph) north of Cuba.

The Bahamas Department of Meteorology issued its final alert, lifting warnings for the southern islands.

Regional toll:

• Haiti: 23 dead, thousands displaced.
• Jamaica: 7 dead, 170 communities damaged; 72% without electricity
• Cuba: 2 dead, 15, 000 evacuated.
• Dominican Republic: 1 dead, flooding in southwest.
• Bahamas: 0 dead, minor infrastructure damage and flooding in southeast.
• Turks & Caicos: minimal to no impact.

Relief and Reconnection

The Cayman Islands became the first government to touch down in Jamaica post-storm. Premier Juliana O’Connor-Connolly led a contingent bringing a plane-load of essentials and pledged US $1.2 million in aid.

Reggae icon Shaggy arrived on a private jet with friends, delivering food, medical kits, and hygiene supplies.

Meanwhile, Starlink and FLOW Jamaica activated emergency satellite internet across Jamaica providing free connectivity through November.

From overseas, U.S. President Donald Trump, speaking during his Asia tour, announced that American search-and-rescue teams and disaster aid will support the region.

“They can depend on U.S. assistance as they recover from this historic storm,” he said.

Faith, Funds, and False Websites

The Government of Jamaica and the Sandals Foundation have both launched verified donation portals for recovery. Officials are warning against fake crowdfunding pages posing as relief sites and urging donors to use only official channels.

A Seventh Nation in the Crosshairs – Bermuda

As Hurricane Melissa left the Caribbean basin, Bermuda found itself next in line.

Forecasts indicated the storm would pass just west of the island late Thursday into Friday, likely as a Category 1 to 2 hurricane with sustained winds near 105 mph.

Though far weaker than when it ravaged Jamaica, officials issued a hurricane warning, urging residents to secure property and expect tropical-storm conditions.

By all appearances Bermuda is heeding the warnings

The Human Response

Across the Caribbean, solidarity surged.

The Global Empowerment Mission (GEM) in Miami began airlifting relief supplies, while churches, civic groups, and businesses in The Bahamas and Turks & Caicos organized drives for displaced families.

“Your dedication gave our islands the strength to face the storm,” Premier Misick said. “Together, as one Caribbean family, we will rise stronger.”

Resilience in the Wake

Melissa’s winds may have faded, but her impact endures. Engineers are inspecting bridges, hillsides, and water systems; volunteers are clearing debris and distributing aid in communities still cut off.

From Haiti’s ravaged river valleys to Jamaica’s sugar towns, from Cuba’s eastern hills to The Bahamas’ salt ponds and Bermuda’s reefs, the region once again stands at the crossroads of ruin and renewal — and leans, as always, toward hope and a faithful God

Deandrea Hamilton | Editor

August 1, 2025 – The Turks and Caicos Islands and The Bahamas are entering a pivotal weather phase as tropical moisture is expected to bring rain from Monday through Wednesday, signaling a shift in conditions despite no tropical cyclone currently affecting the region. Forecasters, including several YouTube weather analysts, have flagged this transition—not as a storm, but as a notable uptick in rainfall associated with atmospheric waves approaching the southwest Atlantic.

This change is arriving alongside a forecasted plume of Saharan dust, set to drift westward early next week. That dry, dusty air layer is notorious for reducing cloud cover, suppressing rainfall in the early season, and limiting tropical storm formation. When it arrives, skies will turn hazy, air quality may decline to moderate levels, and visibility will lower, even while thermometers remain elevated.

Meanwhile, long-range models from the U.S. Climate Prediction Center flag the Atlantic and eastern Gulf corridor from August 6–12 as the first period this season with increased chances—albeit still low—of tropical development. Historically, August marks the escalation of hurricane formation, making the coming weeks especially important for vigilant monitoring.                                                                                                                                                                                                         As of August 1, 2025, three named storms have already formed in the Atlantic: Alberto, Beryl, and Chris. The remaining names for the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season are: Debby, Ernesto, Florence, Gordon, Humberto, Idalia, Jose, Katia, Lee, Margot, Nigel, Ophelia, Pablo, Rebekah, Sebastien, Tanya, and Victor.

At present, no systems in the Pacific basin are forecasted to affect Puerto Rico, the Turks and Caicos Islands, or The Bahamas. The eastern Pacific remains active, but no cross-basin moisture or disturbances are expected to cross into our region.

In summary, residents should brace for a few days of elevated rain chances in early August, under skies tinged with dust and variable sunshine. While the Atlantic remains largely quiet today, a gradual shift toward wetter, more unstable weather is underway, and early to mid-August may well mark the true start of the season’s active phase. Stay tuned for updated alerts and official forecasts as conditions evolve.

Photo Caption: MrWeatherman/YouTube

Magnetic Media | Editorial Team

Despite record investments, growing public demand, and remarkable technological advances, clean energy is still not winning fast enough. Why? The reasons are more political and structural than scientific. This is a breakdown of what’s really holding back the clean energy revolution—even as the planet cries out for relief.

1. Fossil Fuel Subsidies Are Still King

Globally, fossil fuels received over $7 trillion in subsidies in 2023 alone (IMF). That means oil, gas, and coal are still heavily underwritten by governments, keeping their prices artificially low. Clean energy has to compete on a tilted playing field.

Even with solar and wind now cheaper than fossil fuels in most markets, they aren’t winning on price alone because the global economy still props up carbon-heavy industries.

2. Grids Weren’t Built for Solar and Wind

Much of the world’s energy infrastructure is outdated and designed around centralized, fossil fuel-based power plants. Renewables are decentralized and intermittent, requiring new, smarter grids.

The IEA estimates that for every dollar spent on renewables, only $0.60 is spent upgrading grid infrastructure. As a result, there’s a growing backlog: solar and wind projects are ready to plug in, but there’s no place to plug them.

3. Upfront Costs & Finance Gaps

Solar panels may be cheap, but setting up large-scale renewable projects requires big upfront capital. Developing countries, where the sun shines brightest, often lack access to affordable finance.

Africa, for instance, holds 60% of the world’s best solar resources, but gets just 2% of global clean energy investment.

4. The Fossil Fuel Lobby Is Strong and Well-Funded

From legal challenges to PR campaigns, the fossil fuel lobby remains one of the most powerful political forces worldwide. They fund misinformation, push back on regulation, and block clean energy initiatives through litigation and influence.                                                                                                                               And in many countries, fossil fuel giants are deeply entangled in politics, making meaningful change economically risky and politically unpopular.

5. Clean Energy Jobs Are Rising—But So Are Fears

While clean energy now supports nearly 35 million jobs globally, many workers in oil, gas, and coal industries fear losing their livelihoods. Without serious retraining and transition plans, politicians are reluctant to pull the plug on fossil sectors that support entire communities.

Just transitions are slow, complex, and expensive. But avoiding them stalls progress.

6. No Global Enforcement = Slow Global Action

Climate goals like those in the Paris Agreement are mostly voluntary. There are no penalties for missing clean energy targets, and no global enforcement mechanisms.

The result? Countries pledge but rarely deliver. Progress is patchy, and ambition often dissolves after an election cycle.

7. Clean Tech Access Is Not Equal

Clean energy tech—batteries, solar panels, EV components—is manufactured mostly in a few countries. Developing nations often can’t afford or access it, locking them out of the transition.

Trade barriers, outdated financial risk models, and monopolized supply chains make clean energy a rich nation’s luxury, not a global solution.

Still, There Is Hope

The 2025 UN Climate Address noted that over 90% of new power added last year came from renewables. Solar is now 41% cheaper than fossil fuels, and countries like India, China, and even Texas are seeing massive economic growth from clean energy.

But the transition must speed up—and clean energy must get a fair shot.

That means cutting fossil subsidies, modernizing grids, financing developing nations, and enacting just transition plans.

The future is sun-powered. But only if we stop throwing shade.