A few weeks ago, a devastating Category 5 hurricane swept through several Caribbean islands, damaging millions of lives in the process. Sashona Wynter, one of the affected individuals, has been forced to house her six children in the remnants of a church storeroom. She stands guard outside to make sure her family is not taken advantage of in their vulnerable state. Wynter is doing all she can to protect her family, even when their house and the school they were taking shelter in were destroyed by the storm. She does not know her next steps forward, and she is not alone.
Living in Illinois makes it hard to grasp the possibility of losing everything to a natural disaster. While local residents complain about the suffocating humidity in the summer months, people elsewhere worry about the safety of their homes against fierce storms. The area’s main threat is the occasional tornado, however, it does not usually result in the displacement of thousands of families and the destruction of an entire country. Meanwhile, in other parts of the world, devastating hurricanes strike yearly.
According to JW.org, the tropical storm known as ‘Melissa’ formed in the central Caribbean Sea on Oct. 21, 2025. It quickly became a Category 5 hurricane, and it affected Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos and Bermuda. The fierce storm made landfall in Jamaica on Oct. 28, marking the first time in history that Jamaica had faced a Category 5 hurricane. Its effects lingered on for several days, with the island having to sustain 185 mph winds, causing approximately 75 percent of the island to lose electricity. The other islands are facing similar disastrous situations. Cuba had to bear Melissa as a Category 3 hurricane, prompting the evacuation of 700,000 individuals amid heavy rains.
Weeks after Hurricane Melissa, countries are still suffering the consequences. As reported by The New York Times, in Jamaica, relief agencies continue to prioritize supplying food and water for the approximately one million people who were severely affected by the storm. Roughly 145,000 structures sustained major damage, including lost roofs and walls. This amount is far from final, however, as the number of damaged buildings continues to increase as more tests are conducted. Even now, large parts of the country are without power or water. Worse still, with heavy rains persisting, the victims of the hurricane are forced to live in the wreckage with little protection against the elements. There is essentially no shelter available for these desperate families.
Despite the fact that Jamaica and the surrounding islands have faced storms before, Hurricane Melissa stands apart. According to the Atlantic Council, Melissa was the strongest hurricane on record to ever make landfall in Jamaica, and one of the largest in recorded history. Damages total $8 billion, a sum too large for any stable government. The small island’s economy is fairly unique; it has improved steadily in recent years with reduced debt, something that is rare for similarly-sized countries. However, the damages, as reported on Nov. 7, is equivalent to nearly half of Jamaica’s annual GDP. The destruction of homes and infrastructure are reported to exceed the capacity of the government.
In recent years, the ferocity of tropical storms has intensified alarmingly. As stated by the Environmental Defense Fund, research indicates that the proportion of significant Atlantic hurricanes, recorded to be Category 3 or above, has doubled since 1980. This is largely attributed to a phenomenon known as rapid intensification, which explains that the ideal conditions climate change breeds causes hurricanes to gain momentum more quickly. Curiously enough, the storms themselves move more slowly, as was the case for Melissa. This worsens the ramifications because more rain and wind passes over a particular area before the storm moves on, raising flood risks.
Even in these uncertain times, numerous charities are already lending their support to help struggling individuals in the islands affected by Hurricane Melissa. For instance, Project HOPE, a relief program, is on the ground in Jamaica with an emergency response team, distributing bottled water, toiletries and infant supplies. The group plans to expand their help, aiding hospitals, establishing health clinics and conducting water trucking to communities with damaged infrastructure.
Although this issue may seem insignificant as Glenbard South students sit thousands of miles away in comfortable classrooms, this generation cannot lose empathy. Right now, young children are sleeping on desks, taking shelter in cramped schools because their homes are no longer fit for living in. It is crucial that high schoolers use this newfound knowledge to spread awareness and elicit change in any way possible. Try to donate and support charities that are repairing the unimaginable. Conditions will never improve if people do not use their voices to aid the helpless.
