Melissa is the second most powerful hurricane in the Atlantic, causing up to $52 billion in losses across the Caribbean.
Debris lies in an affected area, after Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Black River, Jamaica, October 30, 2025. PHOTO: REUTERS
The confirmed death toll from Hurricane Melissa rose to 49 on Thursday, according to official reports, after devastating much of the northern Caribbean and gathering speed as it headed toward Bermuda in the North Atlantic.
Authorities in Haiti, which was not directly hit but suffered days of torrential rain from the slow-moving storm, reported at least 30 dead and 20 others missing. At least 23 people, including 10 children, died in the southern town of Petit-Goave when a river burst its banks. Roads, houses and farmland were also damaged by the rains.
In Jamaica, the Minister of Information confirmed at least 19 deaths, with search and rescue efforts still underway. The storm left hundreds of thousands of people without power, ripped roofs off buildings and scattered debris fields. The Jamaican Army has called in reserve personnel to assist in relief and rescue operations.
Learn more: Monster Hurricane Melissa makes landfall in Jamaica
Melissa made landfall in southwest Jamaica on Tuesday as a Category 5 hurricane – the strongest storm ever to directly hit the Caribbean country and the first major hurricane since 1988. The wind speeds were well above the threshold for the highest hurricane category.
AccuWeather forecasters said Melissa was tied for the second strongest Atlantic hurricane on record in terms of landfall wind speeds. They estimated between $48 billion and $52 billion in damage and economic losses in the Western Caribbean.
In eastern Cuba, around 735,000 people were evacuated, but no deaths were reported Thursday, despite widespread damage to homes and crops.
As of 11 p.m. (0300 GMT), Melissa was a Category 2 storm, located 264 km (164 miles) west of Bermuda, with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph (161 km/h), according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center.
Bermuda authorities closed the causeway Thursday evening and closed schools and ferries Friday “out of an abundance of caution.”
In the Bahamas, which Melissa swept through Wednesday evening, storm warnings have been lifted but the “all clear” has not yet been issued. Authorities said the evacuees could return home by Saturday.
Wading barefoot in the mud
The front page of Thursday’s Jamaica Observer newspaper read: “DEVASTATION.”
Kingston, a densely populated city, was spared the worst. Its main airport and port were due to reopen on Thursday and relief flights had started arriving. However, more than 130 roads remained blocked by trees, debris and power lines, forcing the military to clear paths on foot to isolated areas.
Satellite images showed swaths of the Jamaican landscape devoid of greenery and homes destroyed.
In Montego Bay, Alfred Hines, 77, waded barefoot through the mud, remembering his escape from rising waters.
“At one point I see water up to my waist and after about 10 minutes it was around my neck. I run away,” he told Reuters. “I just want to forget about this and see things go back to normal.”
Across western Jamaica, residents flocked to supermarkets and gas stations to stock up on supplies.
“Montego Bay has no gas,” said British tourist Chevelle Fitzgerald. “It took at least six hours to cross to Kingston. The highway was closed and the trees were falling.”
More than 70% of Jamaica’s electricity consumers remained without power as of Thursday morning, Energy Minister Daryl Vaz said. Many schools also lacked electricity and water.
Immediate humanitarian aid
Scientists say hurricanes are intensifying faster and more often because of warming ocean waters caused by greenhouse gas emissions. Caribbean leaders have urged rich, high-emission countries to provide aid or debt relief as compensation for climate impacts.
Read also: Jamaica inspects hurricane ruins
Although the UN established a fund in 2023 to give developing countries access to rapid financing for extreme weather events, contributions have been insufficient.
AccuWeather said Melissa was the third most intense hurricane ever seen in the Caribbean – and also the slowest, compounding the devastation.
US search and rescue teams were en route to Jamaica on Thursday, while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington was ready to offer “immediate humanitarian assistance” to Cuba.
Cuban authorities, facing a Category 3 storm overnight, said they were “awaiting clarification on how and in what manner” aid would be delivered.
At least 241 Cuban communities remained isolated Wednesday after the storm passed through Santiago province, affecting up to 140,000 residents.
In Santiago, Cuba’s second-largest city, residents began returning to repair their homes. Authorities confirmed that 735,000 people had been evacuated to shelters, and tourists from the northern islands had been transferred to hotels inland.
