Hurricane Melissa Live Updates: Hurricane Melissa kills at least 30 across Caribbean region

Hurricane Melissa heads toward Bermuda after leaving trail of destruction in Haiti and Jamaica

Melissa, now a Category 2 hurricane, moved across the Bahamas overnight and is expected to reach Bermuda by Thursday night. Officials have warned of life-threatening storm surges and coastal flooding in parts of the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Haiti and Jamaica are assessing the damage after the powerful storm tore through the Caribbean, leaving at least 28 people dead--23 in Haiti and five in Jamaica-- and several others missing.

Northern Caribbean begins recovery after Hurricane Melissa’s devastation

Haiti, Jamaica and Cuba are reeling from Hurricane Melissa’s trail of destruction. People across the regions are struggling to recover after Melissa’s catastrophic strike. In Jamaica, residents and officials have begun clearing debris in storm-hit regions, with heavy machinery and chainsaws echoing through devastated towns. Many remain homeless as communities assess the widespread destruction left by one of the most powerful Atlantic storms on record.

Hurricane Melissa wrecks havoc at St Ann Parish

Nearly all residents in St Ann parish on Jamaica’s north coast are left without electricity, and many have lost their roofs, after Hurricane Melissa swept across the island, bringing destructive winds and heavy rain.

Fisherman George “Larry” Brown, 68, from the Priory community, said the day began with light rain, but conditions rapidly deteriorated.

By 5:00 pm (2200 GMT) on Tuesday, wind gusts intensified and his roof was torn off.

“I just heard a sound, and it just started to tear off,” Brown said.

Hurricane Melissa struck Jamaica as a Category 5 storm, with sustained winds of up to 185 miles (nearly 300 kilometres) per hour, causing widespread damage and flooding.

Hurricane Melissa kills at least 30

Hurricane Melissa has left a trail of destruction and loss across the Caribbean, emerging as one of the most powerful Atlantic storms in more than 150 years. At least 30 people have been killed, though officials warn the final death toll may rise as rescue teams continue to assess the damage and search for victims.

Jamaica suffered the most brutal impact, with Melissa becoming the strongest hurricane ever recorded to make landfall there. The storm’s violent winds plunged most of the country into darkness, knocking out power and crippling essential services, CNN reported.

Melissa’s strength was fuelled by unusually warm Caribbean waters and favourable atmospheric conditions, which allowed the system to intensify rapidly and build immense force before sweeping across the region.

Hurricane Melissa over Cuba

Possible coastal flooding in Turks and Caicos as Melissa swells

Minor coastal flooding could affect parts of the Turks and Caicos Islands on Wednesday evening, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) has warned. A tropical storm warning remains in effect and is expected to stay in place through the night, The Guardian reported.

The NHC said swells generated by Hurricane Melissa will continue to impact the Turks and Caicos and the Bahamas over the coming days, before reaching Bermuda later this week. The agency cautioned that the swells are likely to create “life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.”

US pledges humanitarian aid to Caribbean as Hurricane Melissa wreaks havoc

US president Donald Trump said the United States will extend humanitarian assistance to Caribbean nations battered by Hurricane Melissa, which continues to cause widespread devastation across the region, reported Miami Herald.
“We’re watching it closely, and we’re prepared to move,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One while en route to South Korea. “It’s doing tremendous damage as we speak,” he said, adding that US agencies were monitoring the situation and ready to assist affected countries.

At least 25 people died in Haiti after Hurricane Melissa triggered deadly floods

In Haiti, at least 25 people were killed in the southern coastal town of Petit-Goâve after the La Digue river overflowed, Mayor Jean Bertrand Subrème told AP. Dozens of homes collapsed when the river burst its banks, leaving several residents trapped under debris on Wednesday morning. With only one Civil Protection Agency official in the area, locals struggled to evacuate through rising floodwaters.

Hurricane Melissa, one of the strongest Atlantic storms on record, has left dozens dead and caused widespread devastation across Cuba, Haiti and Jamaica, flattening homes, toppling power lines and flooding communities.

At least 10 killed in Haiti floods triggered by Hurricane Melissa

At least 10 people were killed in Haiti after the La Digue River in Petit-Goave overflowed due to Hurricane Melissa, local officials told AFP. Authorities said several people were swept away as the storm continued to batter the Caribbean region, with search operations still underway for the missing.

Hurricane Melissa floods roads, homes in Cuba after landfall; wrecks havoc

Hurricane Melissa left streets and houses flooded in Santiago de Cuba on Wednesday, AFP reporters said. The storm, though downgraded, made landfall after sweeping through Jamaica and leaving widespread destruction across the island nation.

'Extensive damage’ in Cuba from Hurricane Melissa, says Cuban president

Hurricane Melissa makes landfall in Cuba

After carving devastation in Jamaica, the storm has now slammed Cuba. In its latest advisory, the National Hurricane Centre (NHC) described Melissa as an “extremely dangerous hurricane” making landfall along the southern coast of eastern Cuba. Although the storm had weakened to Category 3 strength, Melissa still hit Santiago de Cuba province with powerful maximum sustained winds of about 120 miles (195 kilometres) per hour, according to the NHC.

Hurricane Melissa weakens to Category 3 storm before reaching Cuba

US weather officials reported that Hurricane Melissa had weakened to a Category 3 storm before making its way toward Cuba. According to the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center, Melissa is forecast to stay a powerful hurricane as it moves across Cuba and the Bahamas and skirts near Bermuda.

Melissa threatens Cuba with powerful winds

Hurricane Melissa barrels toward eastern Cuba, set to make landfall early Wednesday as a major storm after devastating Jamaica as one of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes on record. President Miguel Díaz-Canel said more than 700,000 people had been evacuated after catastrophic damage warnings by this Category 3 storm could cause catastrophic damage in Santiago de Cuba and surrounding regions.

NHC issues advisory as Hurricane Melissa re-strengthens

Cubans flee the coast as Hurricane Melissa looms

As Hurricane Melissa neared, residents of southeastern Cuba fled inland through pouring rain, seeking safety from the approaching storm. Families carrying their loved ones and a few hastily gathered belongings along muddy, tree-lined paths. Others, visibly shaken, crowded onto packed buses or climbed into waiting trucks evacuating them from danger. Heavy rain, dark skies, and turbulent seas had already begun battering the island.

Melissa stands out as one of the most powerful in a series of massive Atlantic storms, scientists say

Scientists say Hurricane Melissa defied expectations, powering up despite at least three atmospheric factors that typically weaken major storms. They noted with some astonishment that while many modern hurricanes undergo rapid intensification, which is often an increase of 35 mph in 24 hours, Melissa went far beyond that. It experienced extreme rapid intensification, strengthening by nearly 70 mph in just a day, and then surged again in a rare second burst that drove its winds to 175 mph.

Category 5 Hurricane Melissa brings flooding and catastrophic winds to Jamaica

Hurricane Melissa battered southwestern Jamaica with ferocious winds and flooding, ripping roofs from buildings and sending boulders crashing onto roads. The catastrophic Category 5 storm, among the most powerful ever recorded in the Atlantic, brought landslides, downed trees, and widespread power outages as it made landfall near New Hope with winds of 185 mph (295 kph). Officials warned that recovery and damage assessment would take time.

Hurricane Melissa moves towards Cuba; Jamaica gauges the devastation

Hurricane Melissa tore across Jamaica on Tuesday, unleashing torrential rain and destruction after hitting land as one of the most powerful Category 5 storms on record. It moved off Jamaica’s north coast and is headed toward Cuba after strengthening to Category 4.

Record-breaking Category 5 Hurricane Melissa makes landfall in Jamaica

Hurricane Melissa slammed into Jamaica as the most powerful storm to ever strike the island since recordkeeping began 174 years ago, matching the strongest Atlantic hurricane to make landfall. The Category 5 system, packing sustained winds of 185 mph (295 kph), is cutting a diagonal path across the country, from St. Elizabeth in the south to St. Ann in the north.