Amanpour — 'Storm of the Century' Hits Jamaica

Date: October 28, 2025
Host: Bianna Golodryga (sitting in for Christiane Amanpour)
Podcast: CNN’s Amanpour

Episode Overview

This episode of Amanpour spotlights the unprecedented impact of Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 storm dubbed the "storm of the century," as it devastates Jamaica. The program features firsthand accounts from humanitarian workers on the ground, insights from a veteran meteorologist on the storm’s significance and links to climate change, followed by a broader segment covering the escalating civil war and humanitarian disaster in Sudan. The episode concludes with a deep dive into the US government shutdown, unpacking the polarizing issue of healthcare access for undocumented immigrants.

Segment 1: Hurricane Melissa Devastates Jamaica

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Jamaica’s Unprecedented Crisis

• Hurricane Melissa is labeled the worst storm in Jamaican history, reaching sustained winds of 180-185 miles per hour and bringing catastrophic destruction: structural failure, landslides, and floods ([01:13]).
• The government issued mandatory evacuations and activated over 881 shelters, providing buses—but faced slow public uptake ([02:14], John Morales).
  • “In a liberal democracy like Jamaica, we tend to want to respect the rights of citizens to protect their property, but to give them the information so that they can protect their lives.” ([02:14], John Morales)
• Only a fraction of at-risk residents—1,700 out of an estimated 50,000—evacuated ahead of the storm ([04:26], Bianna Golodryga).

On-the-Ground Conditions in Kingston

• Marva Allen Sims (Jamaica Network of Rural Women Producers & Care partner in Kingston) describes varying conditions:
  • Kingston faces mild wind and intermittent rain, but southwestern parishes are severely affected ([03:40], Marva Allen Sims).
  • Coastline erosion is reported; concern is high for residents who refused to evacuate, often to protect property or livestock ([05:18]).
    • “There are persons who are now asking to be evacuated, which, of course, is not going to be possible because the buses have been pulled.” ([06:08], Marva Allen Sims)
• Vulnerable populations (elderly, children, those physically unable) rely on neighbors and community solidarity.
  • “We are a caring people. Jamaicans are caring. So we are looking out for our neighbors.” ([07:49], Marva Allen Sims)
• Tragically, three storm-related deaths have been confirmed, with expectations of more as the disaster unfolds ([09:04], Bianna Golodryga).

Meteorological Perspective & Climate Connection

• John Morales, meteorologist, highlights:
  • The western half of Jamaica, especially Manchester, St. Elizabeth, and Westmoreland parishes, faces the most severe impact ([10:22]).
  • “This is going to be the worst disaster in the history of Jamaica... Hurricanes don’t just take lives, they ruin lives—many, many ways.” ([10:22], John Morales)
• Construction disparities leave poorer communities especially vulnerable; storm surge can reach up to 4 meters ([12:50]).
• Jamaica’s mountainous terrain intensifies rainfall and damage, with accumulations projected at 30–40 inches ([14:25]).
• Warmer Caribbean waters (+2.5°F or +1.5°C) due to climate change fuel more intense, longer-lasting, slow-moving hurricanes ([15:49], John Morales).
  • “We have changed the physics and thermodynamics of how these hurricanes work... the speed limits of what wind can possibly be is increasing.” ([16:49], John Morales)
• The spread of misinformation during disasters undermines preparation and response.
  • “We can’t throw textbooks at people’s heads. We have to meet people where they’re at... relate to them as much as possible.” ([18:39], John Morales)

Memorable Quotes

• “[Melissa] is the strongest landfalling hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic basin, tying the great Labor Day hurricane of 1935.” ([17:40], John Morales)

Segment 2: The Humanitarian Catastrophe in Sudan

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Darfur’s Fall & Humanitarian Emergency

• Rebel Rapid Support Forces (RSF) seize Al Fasher, sparking fears for 250,000 trapped civilians ([20:44], Bianna Golodryga).
• Ariane Heinkamp (International Rescue Committee – Darfur Crisis Lead) describes the dire status for thousands fleeing:
  • "…Arrive in deplorable state. Many of them are sick and wounded, having lived the siege for a period of six to seven months.” ([22:34], Ariane Heinkamp)
• The humanitarian corridor to safety is under threat, and far fewer displaced persons than expected have reached safety—raising fears for those unaccounted for ([23:37]).

Ongoing Atrocities and Risks

• Shana Lewis (Sudan analyst): “The international civil society community and Sudanese themselves have been warning about the atrocity risk for over two years…” ([24:59]).
• Systematic sexual violence is rampant and grossly underreported—estimated only 3% of cases are documented.
  • “This is a tactic that is being used indiscriminately by both sides…There is certainly more documentation of the RSF’s use of sexual violence as a weapon of war.” ([29:32], Shana Lewis)
• The RSF reportedly posts video evidence of atrocities, and there’s growing concern for the fate of missing women, children, and young men.

Foreign Involvement & Geopolitics

• UAE is accused of arming the RSF; other states (Egypt, Saudi Arabia) are also directly or indirectly supporting each side ([32:27], Ariane Heinkamp; [33:13], Shana Lewis).
• The US’s diplomatic efforts—via the "Quad" group—focus on ceasefire negotiations but are hampered by lack of strong civilian representation.

The Problem of Global Inattention

• International inaction, despite repeated warnings, is blamed for the escalating catastrophe.
  • “There is no good reason other than racism, frankly, at this point, that means that Sudan is not getting the attention it deserves.” ([35:19], quoting Khaloud Khair, cited by Bianna Golodryga)
  • “This really comes down to not a lack of information by policymakers. They have known the entire time what was coming... But it’s a lack of political will.” ([36:21], Shana Lewis)
• United Nations Security Council resolutions remain unimplemented, rendering global response largely symbolic ([36:21], Shana Lewis).

Segment 3: US Government Shutdown & Healthcare for Undocumented Immigrants

Key Discussion Points and Insights

The Shutdown and Policy Divide

• The government shutdown nears five weeks, centered around healthcare funding for undocumented immigrants ([39:01], Hari Srinivasan).
• David Ovalle (Washington Post health reporter) clarifies that both parties oversimplify the reality:
  • "The reality is taxpayers do pay some directly and indirectly for care for undocumented people. But it is neither as glaring and as stark as Republicans might have you believe..." ([39:32])
• Emergency Medicaid allows for basic emergency coverage, but is a tiny fraction of overall Medicaid spending (<1%) and does not include follow-up or long-term care ([40:30], David Ovalle).
• Much of the GOP argument conflates care for undocumented people with those who have legal status via TPS or asylum ([42:36]).

Realities for the Undocumented & Health Effects

• Most undocumented adults rely on community clinics, pay sliding-scale fees, or skip care entirely due to cost, fear, or inaccessible coverage ([45:05], David Ovalle).
  • "A lot of the undocumented immigrants are used to paying for health care in their home countries... They want to pay at least something for some of their care." ([46:21])
• Foregone preventative care often leads to more expensive emergency care later, increasing overall public costs ([47:58]).
• Immigration enforcement fears cause people to skip even urgent appointments (including surgeries), deepening health disparities ([47:47]).

Systemic Funding Challenge

• Even as states like California provide greater access, budget pressures and federal rollback are leading to cuts in care and increased strain on local clinics ([50:49], David Ovalle).
  • "Community clinics are facing a lot fewer dollars from Washington and from their state capitals. So it's...trickling down, and that's when we're going to start seeing more emergency room visits..." ([52:01])

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• “There’s nothing that you will be able to do in a Category 5 storm to protect your property, keep your lives safe.”
  — John Morales ([02:14])

• “It is going to be catastrophic.”
  — Marva Allen Sims ([00:32])

• “We can’t throw textbooks at people’s heads. We have to meet people where they’re at... let’s talk about how these changes ... impact each and every one of those families.”
  — John Morales ([18:39])

• “We are a caring people. Jamaicans are caring. So we are looking out for our neighbors.”
  — Marva Allen Sims ([07:49])

• “Hurricanes don’t just take lives, they ruin lives—in many, many ways.”
  — John Morales ([10:22])

• “Many of them [Sudanese refugees] are sick and wounded, having lived the siege for a period of six to seven months.”
  — Ariane Heinkamp ([22:34])

• “Only 3% of the actual rapes that are happening in Sudan are being documented.”
  — Shana Lewis ([31:38])

• “There is no good reason other than racism, frankly, at this point, that means ... [Sudan] is not getting the attention it deserves.”
  — Quoting Khaloud Khair, via Bianna Golodryga ([35:19])

Timestamps of Key Segments

• Hurricane Melissa & Jamaican response: 00:22–09:27
• Meteorological analysis and climate links: 09:31–19:51
• Sudan civil war and humanitarian crisis: 20:44–38:14
• US government shutdown & undocumented immigrant healthcare: 39:01–52:30

Episode Tone

The episode is urgent, empathetic, and deeply sobering. It delivers factual, hard-hitting analysis and emotional testimony from those on the front lines of disaster—natural and man-made—and those navigating thorny political debates in the US. There’s an emphasis on community resilience, the importance of facts over misinformation, and a direct confrontation of global and political failures in the face of catastrophe.

Summary

This episode provides a gripping account of crises—climatic, humanitarian, and political—illuminating the global interconnectivity of disaster and injustice. It balances scientific explanation, on-the-ground reporting, and urgent calls for both local vigilance and international action. From Jamaica’s battered coasts to Sudan’s besieged cities and America’s health policy battle, Amanpour brings clarity and humanity to stories that matter worldwide.