In this episode, we confront the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, the strongest storm in recorded history to strike Jamaica with massive damage to Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba. We hear firsthand accounts from Jamaican survivors who faced terrifying winds and flooding, and we delve into the role of climate change in intensifying such storms. We feature two climate scientists, Dr. Michael Mann and Dr. Daniel Swain, juxtaposed with a documentarian on the ground, Jonathan Petramala. Join us as we explore the urgent need for aid and the resilience of the Jamaican people in the face of catastrophe. Support the Podcast via PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url Several days of torrential rains, storm surges and catastrophic flooding caused by Hurricane Melissa have impacted the lives of more than 700,000 children across the Caribbean. For an extended interview and other benefits, become an EcoJustice Radio patron at https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio Sources: Hurricane Melissa’s Ground Zero - Jonathan Petramala https://youtu.be/WjI0RD2s0To?si=l_No92HjV-pWzMNN Hurricane Melissa: The Fight to Reconnect Survivors https://youtu.be/Nhy9ZkSw_iQ?si=IM63dbmLiJ58Zf8D Michael Mann Discusses Impact of Hurricane Melissa on MSNBC with Chris Jansing https://youtu.be/AQ5OMZWJKRo?si=JY5vaFLDmD3ywSVb Dr. Daniel Swain of Weather West speaks on the dynamics of Hurricane Melissa https://www.youtube.com/live/mZJXmweDr0g?si=emPVEs_l4X1zIyET Dr. Michael E. Mann [https://michaelmann.net/] is Presidential Distinguished Professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Science at the University of Pennsylvania, with a secondary appointment in the Annenberg School for Communication. He also serves as Vice Provost for Climate Science, Policy, and Action and Director of the Penn Center for Science, Sustainability, and the Media (PCSSM). Dr. Daniel Swain is a climate scientist focused on the dynamics and impacts of extreme events—including droughts, floods, storms, and wildfires—on a warming planet. Daniel holds joint appointments as a climate scientist within the California Institute for Water Resources within University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UCANR) and as a research partner at the NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research. He engages extensively with journalists and other media to facilitate accessible and accurate coverage and conversations surrounding climate change. He also authors the Weather West blog (weatherwest.com), which provides real-time perspectives on California weather and climate. Jonathan Petramala [http://www.youtube.com/@JonathanPetramala] is an independent journalist and documentarian with over 20 years of experience. He focuses on documenting major disaster events, bringing attention to the power and resilience of the human spirit. Jack Eidt is an urban planner, environmental journalist, and climate organizer, as well as award-winning fiction writer. He is Co-Founder of SoCal 350 Climate Action and Executive Producer of EcoJustice Radio. He writes on desert environmental and cultural issues for an L.A.-Press-Club-honored project on PBS SoCal called High & Dry [https://www.pbssocal.org/people/high-dry]. He is also Founder and Publisher of WilderUtopia [https://wilderutopia.com], a website dedicated to the question of Earth sustainability, finding society-level solutions to environmental, community, economic, transportation, and energy needs. Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ Support the Podcast: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url Executive Producer and Host: Jack Eidt Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats Episode 271 Photo credit: Daniel Swain