Hurricane Melissa death toll nears 50 as Jamaica relief efforts intensify and storm heads north

Hurricane Melissa Brings Devastation and Death Toll to Caribbean Region

The death toll from Hurricane Melissa has risen to 49 as the storm continues to wreak havoc across the Caribbean. Jamaica, the hardest-hit country so far, reported 19 deaths, while Haiti's death toll stands at 30 with 20 more missing.

"It is a sad moment for the country," said Laurent Saint-Cyr, head of the transitional presidential council in Haiti, where the storm has left thousands without access to basic necessities. The situation in eastern Cuba was relatively less affected, with authorities evacuating nearly 735,000 people from their homes as the storm approached, but no official damage or death toll has been reported.

In Jamaica, search and rescue efforts are ongoing, despite the country's capital, Kingston, being spared the worst of the storm. The island's main international airport has reopened to allow critical aid to land, with officials describing the devastation as "enormous". Power lines and mobile network towers were down in much of the south-west.

Bermuda, which was expected to be severely affected by Melissa, was given a relatively wide berth by the storm. Residents remained calm, but authorities took precautions, closing its causeway Thursday night and shutting schools and ferries on Friday "out of an abundance of caution".

The British government has chartered flights for Jamaican nationals who are unable to fly home commercially. The US National Hurricane Center downgraded Melissa from a category 5 storm to a category 2 hurricane, but it still carries winds of close to 105 miles per hour.

Across the Bahamas archipelago, which Melissa has now passed, nearly 1,500 people were flown out in one of its largest evacuation operations. Despite losing power, the storm remains a significant threat, with the US National Hurricane Center predicting it will significantly weaken on Friday.

The devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa is heartbreaking. I can only imagine how frightening it must have been to be caught in that category 5 hurricane... or even as low as category 2 . The fact that nearly 735,000 people had to evacuate eastern Cuba shows just how serious the situation was. And now, thousands are without access to basic necessities like food and water in Haiti .

It's also interesting to see that Bermuda, which was expected to be severely hit, only got a relatively wide berth from Melissa . The precautions taken by authorities there seem like a good example of being prepared for the unexpected. The US National Hurricane Center downgrading the storm from category 5 to 2 is a reminder that even powerful storms can lose strength quickly .

The Jamaican government's decision to reopen its airport for critical aid is also a positive step . And I'm glad to see that some countries like Bermuda are taking precautions without causing panic . My thoughts are with the people affected by this disaster, and I hope they receive all the help and support they need .

ugh i'm so over these forums anyway... back to hurricane melissa, seriously though, 49 deaths is just ridiculous can't we do better than this? and it's not like cuba didn't take precautions or anything, evacuating nearly a million people is no joke. but still, 735k people on the move, that's a lot of stress. and what's with the us hurricane center downgrading it to category 2 now? shouldn't they have done that sooner anyway, at least the british gov is stepping up for the jamaicans who can't get back home... still, gotta wonder how many ppl were affected without even having a power line or mobile signal

man... what's going on over there? i feel so bad for those people in Haiti and Jamaica they're getting absolutely smashed by that hurricane. 49 dead and counting... that's just crazy. I hope the aid gets through soon, but the situation sounds dire. i've been following this storm from afar, and it's hard to imagine how people can be prepared for something like this. my heart goes out to those affected by the storm

This is just devastating... I mean, what's wrong with Mother Nature? First it's COVID, now this... 49 people are already dead and thousands more without access to basic necessities. And Jamaica's capital was basically spared? It's like the storm decided to play a cruel game of chess. The fact that Bermuda got off scot-free while its neighbors are suffering is just not fair. I can only imagine how worried those Jamaicans must be. When will this ever end?!

come on... another hurricane ruining lives and livelihoods . can't we do anything to stop these storms from happening in the first place? instead of evacuating people or waiting for the storm to pass, what about some real research on how to prevent these disasters? i mean 735,000 people evacuated... that's just a whole lotta people . and what about the long-term effects on those islands? we're always quick to send aid but do we ever think about rebuilding sustainably?

I'm so worried about what's happening in the Caribbean right now The situation is just heartbreaking, especially for Haiti and Jamaica which are taking the hardest hit . 49 deaths is a staggering number and I can only imagine how devastating it must be to lose so many loved ones. The thought of thousands without access to basic necessities like food, water, and shelter is just horrific .

I'm also relieved that Bermuda got relatively lucky and that residents were able to remain calm despite the precautions being taken . But at the same time, I can understand why authorities took measures to protect people's safety .

The fact that Jamaican nationals are getting chartered flights from the British government is just a huge relief, especially for those who can't fly home commercially . And it's great to see the US National Hurricane Center being proactive in their predictions and downgrading Melissa from category 5 to category 2 .

But what really gets me is that despite losing power, the storm still remains a significant threat, with the Bahamas getting nearly 1,500 people evacuated . It's just so sad to see people going through this, especially when it feels like they're fighting against nature itself . We should all be sending our thoughts and prayers to those affected by this disaster .

this is just so tragic I mean, can you imagine living through something like that? thousands without basic stuff and families torn apart... the situation in Haiti sounds absolutely brutal and that 735k people evacuated from Cuba is crazy mind-blowing! on a brighter note tho, the fact that Bermuda dodged the storm is just a huge relief and those chartered flights for Jamaican nationals? amazing gotta keep those islands safe

Man, this hurricane is absolutely devastating ... like, I'm so sorry for everyone affected by it. The stats are crazy, 49 deaths already? That's insane . And to think that some islands were spared but still lost power and stuff... it's just awful .

I mean, can you imagine having to evacuate with your family because of a storm? It's like, totally unpredictable and scary . I guess the fact that Bermuda was given a wide berth is a good thing, but at the same time, I'm sure they're still feeling it .

The British government doing good by chartering flights for Jamaican nationals... that's really cool . And the US National Hurricane Center downgrading Melissa from a category 5 storm to a category 2 hurricane? That's still super intense though .

But seriously, let's all just take a moment to think about these people who are going through this and hope they can get back on their feet soon . This hurricane may have passed, but its impact will be felt for a long time .

I'm thinking about all those ppl stuck without power & water, its just so sad . The Caribbean region is always hit by these massive storms . I feel for Haiti & Jamaica especially, 49 deaths is just too many . And Bermuda was lucky to be spared . But evacuation efforts are super important so they can get the help they need . Hopefully it'll weaken soon & not cause more damage . The British government doing their part by chartering flights for Jamaican ppl, thats really kind of them .

its really crazy what hurricane melissa is doing to those islands ... i mean, 49 deaths already? that's like something from a movie or somethin ... and the thing is, they were supposed to get hit hard by this storm... jamaica in particular is takin it on the chin ... thousands without access to basic stuff, and still no word on how bad the damage is ... and you're talkin about jamaica's capital bein spared but most of the south-west gettin hammered? that's just somethin else ... i'm glad they got some help from the british gov and the us, tho... at least they can fly home now ... anyways, my thoughts r with all those affected by this storm

ugh, another hurricane . like, can't we just get a break from all this natural disaster drama for once? anyway, 49 dead is crazy . Cuba's evacuation efforts are on point tho, I guess it's good they got those 735k people out of harm's way . on the flip side, Bermuda was pretty lucky , but still not cool that they had to be all cautious and shut down schools and ferries . US government is doing their part by chartering flights for Jamaican nationals tho . hoping Melissa weakens up soon, don't wanna see any more devastation

OH MY GOSH!!!! THIS IS SO SAD!!! I FEEL FOR ALL THE PEOPLE WHO LOST THEIR LOVED ONES AND HOMES DUE TO HURRICANE MELISSA!!!! 49 DEATHS IS JUST TOO MUCH!!! THE CARIBBEAN REGION IS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL PLACE, IT'S LIKE THEY'RE GETTING CRUSHED BY NATURE RIGHT NOW!!!

AND THE SITUATION IN HAITI IS JUST TERRIBLE!!!! THOUSANDS WITHOUT ACCESS TO BASIC NECESSITIES, IT'S LIKE THEY'RE STRANDED ON AN ISLAND WITH NO WAY OUT!!!!

BUT I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT BERMUDA WAS ABLE TO AVOID THE WORST OF IT!!! AND THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT IS CHARACTERING FLIGHTS FOR JAMAICAN NATIONALS, THAT'S SUCH A KIND THING TO DO!!!!

I HOPE HURRICANE MELISSA WILL SIGNIFICANTLY WEAKEN SOON AND THE CARIBBEAN REGION CAN START RECOVERING FROM THIS DEVASTATING STORM!!!!!

Man, can you believe this? The Caribbean is getting pummeled by this hurricane! I was just listening to some tunes from 2009 on Spotify and thinking about how much I miss the good old days of Myspace... anyway, back to Melissa - it's crazy how fast that thing has been downgrading. From a category 5 to a 2? That still got some serious power behind it! But at least Bermuda dodged the bullet, huh? I remember when the Jonas Brothers were all the rage and Twitter was just starting out... what a wild ride, right? Anyway, gotta keep an eye on those folks in Jamaica and Haiti - they're gonna need some serious help to get back on their feet. Praying for 'em!

the tragedy that's unfolding across these islands is just another reminder of the fragility of our existence... 49 lives lost to something as brutal as nature, and yet we can't help but be drawn to these places like moths to a flame. we're reminded that even with all our preparations and precautions, we're still at the mercy of forces beyond our control... it's almost as if we're participating in some grand symphony, where the rhythm is dictated by the winds and rains, not by human hands. what's truly heartbreaking is the resilience of these people, who will have to pick up the pieces and rebuild their lives after this devastating storm has passed. can't help but wonder what we could've done differently, or perhaps more importantly, how we can learn from this experience to become better prepared for the uncertainties that lie ahead...

this is just terrible what's going on in Jamaica they're saying the damage is enormous but like, how many people have to go through that? 49 lives lost already and Haiti's not faring much better...thousands without basic necessities...it's a real crisis over there. Cuba was lucky with its evacuation numbers tho nearly 735k people saved...and Bermuda, what a relief they got out of the storm pretty easily . US helping out though with charter flights for Jamaican nationals...that's a good start at least.

I'm literally shaking thinking about all those poor ppl in Jamaica and Haiti ... 49 deaths is just crazy! I can only imagine how scared they must've been when the storm was coming . The fact that they had to evacuate so many ppl from Cuba is just insane, but at least nobody died there. Bermuda's situation is also worrying, those precautions are necessary for a reason . I'm glad the British gov is helping out with flights for Jamaican nationals tho . It's like, how can this be happening again? We gotta keep an eye on these storms and make sure people are prepared .

OMG u guys this hurricane is like CRAZY!!! I mean i feel bad for all those ppl affected but 49 deaths tho? That's wild! Jamaica needs all da help they can get, and Cuba was lucky cuz dey evacuated everyone . But Bermuda was like "oh no we r gonna die" and then it just passed them by. I wonder if dey'll ever go back tho . The Brits are helping out tho which is cool .

its really sad to see the devastation caused by hurricane melissa, especially in jamaica and haiti ...the images of people without access to basic necessities are heartbreaking and i can only imagine how hard its for them...cuba's evacuation efforts were impressive tho ...bermuda being spared was a lucky break for the residents there...i wonder what the long term effects will be on the island's infrastructure ...anyway, my thoughts are with all those affected by this natural disaster

Man, 49 deaths from a hurricane? That's crazy! I know people are saying it's bad luck to talk about natural disasters while they're still happening, but come on, someone's gotta say it... Melissa is like the ultimate reminder of how small we really are. And can we talk about how some countries are way more prepared than others? Like Cuba's evacuation efforts were super impressive - nearly 700k people evacuated! But at the same time, I feel bad for Haiti and Jamaica, who got hit so hard... it's like they're carrying the whole burden of Melissa's wrath.