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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Jewel Fraser

The trauma after the storm: Hurricane Melissa leaves trail of emotional devastation across Jamaica

A woman stands on muddy ground surrounded by broken bits of buildings and trees
Pamella Foster surveys the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa on 30 October in Black River, Jamaica. Photograph: Octavio Jones/Reuters

When Hurricane Melissa struck Jamaica on 28 October with 185mph winds, destroying homes, hospitals and infrastructure, killing 32 people and affecting 1.5 million, Toni-Jan Ifill immediately realised it would leave many with long-term traumatic memories.

A month and a half after the storm, which also affected eastern Cuba, the clinical psychologist says recollections of the terrifying winds also haunt some of the staff at the University Hospital of the West Indies in Kingston. Even the sound of rain can cause trauma responses among people who lived through it.

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