Hurricane Melissa death toll rises to 49 across the Caribbean

Hurricane Melissa has claimed at least 49 lives across the northern Caribbean, with officials warning that the death toll is likely to rise as search and rescue operations continue in storm-ravaged areas.

Authorities in Haiti reported at least 30 deaths and 20 people missing after several days of torrential rain, even though the country was not directly struck by the hurricane, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.

In Jamaica, officials confirmed 19 fatalities, according to Reuters, while the Dominican Republic reported one death before the storm made landfall elsewhere.

The powerful hurricane has left widespread destruction across the region, submerging communities, disrupting power, and prompting large-scale emergency response efforts.

Melissa, one of the strongest Atlantic storms on record, made landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday as a Category 5 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of up to 295 kilometres per hour (183 miles per hour). The hurricane did not hit the capital of Kingston, but it slammed into Jamaica’s western side, where it wrought “devastation”, according to government officials.

Melissa later struck Cuba as a Category 3 hurricane before continuing on a path past the Bahamas on Wednesday night. It is due to pass within 60km (37 miles) of Bermuda, according to the US National Hurricane Center.

The storm’s force has been felt across the Caribbean, bringing destructive winds, rain, and flooding even as its strength has steadily declined over the past week.

Although Haiti and the Dominican Republic, which share the island of Hispaniola, did not sustain a direct hit, they both experienced heavy flooding, according to local reports.

No deaths have been reported yet in Cuba, although the eastern half of the island was heavily battered by strong winds, according to Reuters.

News.Az