Petit-Goâve, October 29, 2025.- The passage of Hurricane Melissa, downgraded to category 2 (according to the National Hurricane Center-NHC), plunged the city of Petit-Goâve into chaos. The torrential rains caused the sudden flood of the river La Digue, causing at least 20 deaths and 10 missing, according to a provisional assessment by the Civil Protection. The southern part of the country remains on red alert, while human and material damage continues to worsen.
In Petit-Goâve, nature was unleashed again. The river La Digue, swollen by the heavy rains of Hurricane Melissa, left its bed in the night of Tuesday to Wednesday, swallowing dozens of houses built on the edge. The result is tragic: 20 deaths, including 10 children, and several missing, according to Emmanuel Pierre, Director General of Civil Protection. « The balance sheet is provisional, but the situation remains critical »he said, stressing the continuation of research operations in inaccessible areas.
On the spot, the testimonies are heartbreaking. Jonathan, a mason by profession, lost four members of his family trapped under the debris of their house swept away by the waves. « We didn't have time to run. Water's up at once », he confides, empty eyes.
The relief workers, supported by local authorities, struggle to reach some areas that are still flooded. The city Faustin Soulouque, heart of Petit-Goâve, is unrecognizable: roads cut off, houses destroyed, displaced families.
In the rest of the country, the Great South remains under high surveillance. In Jacmel, floods have already forced dozens of families to leave their homes. The Civil Protection Directorate maintains a red alert for several departments, fearing new floods and landslides.
Beyond the human tragedy, economic losses are forecast to be heavy. The first findings point to considerable damage in agriculture and livestock, sectors already weakened by the climate and economic crisis.
As Melissa moves north-west with winds reaching 165 km/h, Haiti, once again, finds itself dressing its wounds. The inhabitants, exhausted by repeated disasters, call for a genuine policy of prevention and spatial planning to prevent such tragedies from happening again. Melissa is the most powerful hurricane recorded in 90 years, according to TV5MONDE.
W.A.
