Hurricane Melissa’s death toll rose to 49 as confirmed by official reports on Thursday, following its destructive path through the northern Caribbean and acceleration past Bermuda in the North Atlantic. Haiti, although not directly impacted, endured significant casualties due to prolonged heavy rainfall from the lingering storm, with at least 30 fatalities and 20 individuals still missing.
In the southern town of Petit-Goave in Haiti, 23 people, including 10 children, lost their lives when a river overflowed. The torrential rains caused damage to roads, residences, and agricultural lands in the region. Jamaica reported a minimum of 19 fatalities as confirmed by the information minister, with ongoing search and rescue operations in progress. The storm caused widespread power outages, structural damages, and debris scattered across fields in the affected areas.
Jamaica’s military has requested reserve personnel to assist in relief and rescue missions. Hurricane Melissa made landfall in southwestern Jamaica as a formidable Category 5 hurricane, marking the nation’s most potent storm ever to directly hit its coast and the first major hurricane to do so since 1988. The storm’s wind speeds exceeded the threshold for the most intense hurricane classification, and experts at AccuWeather noted its ranking as the second-strongest Atlantic hurricane in recorded history in terms of wind speed upon landfall.
Preliminary estimates suggest the western Caribbean region may face economic losses ranging from $67 to $72 billion due to the storm’s impact. While Melissa also struck eastern Cuba, where extensive evacuations occurred, no casualties were reported as of Thursday despite significant property and agricultural damage.
By 11 p.m local time, Melissa had weakened to a Category 2 storm, positioned 264 kilometers west of Bermuda in the North Atlantic region, with sustained winds reaching 161 km/h according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. Residents in Bermuda remained vigilant, with authorities closing the causeway and suspending schools and ferries as a precautionary measure.
In the Bahamas, where Melissa passed through on Wednesday night, storm warnings were lifted, but the “all clear” had not been issued. Authorities anticipated making a decision by Saturday on the safe return of evacuated individuals to their homes on the affected islands.
