Hurricane Melissa devastates Caribbean, death toll passes 30

Hurricane Melissa tore through parts of the Caribbean, leaving at least 30 people dead across the region and unleashing severe flooding and wind damage. The storm struck Jamaica as the strongest hurricane ever to make landfall there, packing sustained winds near 185 mph and knocking out power to much of the island. Authorities reported widespread destruction in St. Elizabeth parish and warned recovery would take years, with private estimates placing the economic toll in the tens of billions of dollars.

By Wednesday night, Melissa had weakened to Category 1 while moving across the Bahamas, which evacuated thousands as a precaution. In Haiti, days of heavy rain triggered lethal flooding even without a direct landfall, inundating more than a thousand homes and leaving multiple people missing, including children. Cuba reported mass evacuations, isolated communities and heavy crop damage after the storm raked eastern provinces.

Regional leaders and climate experts pointed to hotter seas and faster storm intensification as drivers of Melissa’s ferocity, renewing calls for greater international support through "loss and damage" financing. Offers of aid began flowing in as rescue teams fanned out to hard-hit areas, while governments kept shelters open and urged residents to steer clear of hazardous floodwaters and downed power lines.