Hurricane Melissa Kills Dozens As Historic Storm Batters The Caribbean
Hurricane Melissa tore across Jamaica on Tuesday as one of the strongest Category 5 storms in more than a century, packing winds near 185 mph and unleashing catastrophic flooding and destruction.
The death toll is up to at least 49. Floods from the storm killed at least 25 people in Haiti and eight people in Jamaica.
The Jamaican government declared the entire country a disaster area as officials began piecing together the full extent of the damage. Nearly three-quarters of the island is without power Wednesday.
“The damage here is catastrophic, I wouldn’t wish yesterday on my worst enemy,” @rj_smith_3 shows wrote on X. “Some of the scariest moments of my life.”
MELISSA’S LATEST
The storm weakened slightly as it crossed the island Tuesday afternoon. By late Tuesday night, Melissa had regained strength before moving toward Cuba, where it made landfall as a Category 3 storm on Wednesday.
Melissa is now moving to the Bahamas, bringing powerful winds, flooding rains, and storm surge.
💶 Want to help people impacted by Melissa? We put together a list of places to donate:
