Hurricane Melissa: Death Toll Rises in Jamaica, Haiti, Cuba
here’s a breakdown of the information from the provided text, organized for clarity:
Hurricane Melissa – Key Impacts & Current Status (as of October 30, 2025)
* Strength: Initially a Category 5 hurricane (185 mph winds, record-tying strength for Atlantic landfalls). Weakened to a Category 3 by the time it hit Cuba.
* Path:
* Made landfall in Jamaica as a Category 5.
* Made landfall in eastern Cuba as a Category 3.
* Heading towards Bermuda (hurricane warning in effect).
* Affecting the central and southeastern Bahamas with heavy rain and winds.
Impacts in Cuba:
* Evacuations: Over 735,000 people were evacuated. People are now returning home.
* Damage:
* Blocked roads and highways (cleanup underway with heavy equipment and military assistance).
* Loss of roofs, power lines, and telecommunications cables.
* Isolated communities.
* Damage to banana, cassava, and coffee plantations.
* Flooding in rural areas.
* Positive Note: The rain was beneficial for reservoirs and easing a drought.
* Ongoing Issues: Many communities are without electricity, internet, and telephone service.
* Humanitarian Aid: The U.S. State Department (via marco Rubio) announced a declaration of humanitarian assistance for Cuba, to be delivered directly and through local partners.
impacts in Haiti:
* A girl is seen walking through floodwater in Port-au-Prince (photo caption). The extent of damage beyond this image is not detailed in the text.
Impacts in Jamaica:
* Hurricane Melissa made landfall as a Category 5 hurricane. No further details are provided in the text.
Source:
* Guerinault Louis / Anadolu via Getty Images (photo)
* U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami (forecasts)