Hurricane Melissa officially became a category 5 tropical storm in late October of this year. It started in the central Atlantic, and the storm quickly escalated. Hurricane Melissa grew in size and strength at a rapid pace and turned into a major hurricane affecting countless communities. The hurricane caused severe rainfall, flooding, and strong winds, causing much damage to be made. Whole neighborhoods lost power as many homes were destroyed, and many streets were turned into small rivers by the amount of rainfall. Almost everything in the areas affected was shut down and people were in need of help, left stranded and without a home. 

One of the greatest effects of hurricane Melissa was how much people were affected by the disaster. Hundreds of families were forced to evacuate suddenly, with no time to get things they needed out of their houses. Due to the hurricane, many local farms that may have already been struggling with money lost almost all crops when fields were flooded. Because of these drastic changes made to things like farms and stores in these communities, there will be many long lasting economic changes for these people and towns. Apart from the people in these affected areas, the environment overall was also affected heavily. Beaches have been eroded, wetlands have been flooded completely, and many animals have been displaced from their habitats. Roads that aren’t already flooded have fall trees blockading them and entire ecosystems have been damaged overall. 

Even with all the damage done, people have come together with their communities in this time of crisis. Volunteers organized many drives so that people affected can get the food and supplies they need, making sure that everyone can access necessities. People have worked together to clear fallen trees, rebuild damaged structures, and help each other with anything they may need. Although the hurricane caused long lasting damage to many things, the storm proved that people are able to help each other in crisis, and it is important to have strong communities. The rebuilding from the storm will take time, but the communities affected are pushing through together.