Death toll climbs to 50 as Caribbean surveys Hurricane Melissa destruction: Live updates Thao Nguyen and Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAYOctober 31, 2025 at 7:44 AM 0 Death toll climbs to 50 as Caribbean surveys Hurricane Melissa destruction: Live updates Communities across the northern Caribbean are reeling in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa on Friday after the storm left a trail of devastation as it tore through the region as one of the strongest Atlantic storms on record.
- - Death toll climbs to 50 as Caribbean surveys Hurricane Melissa destruction: Live updates
Thao Nguyen and Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAYOctober 31, 2025 at 7:44 AM
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Death toll climbs to 50 as Caribbean surveys Hurricane Melissa destruction: Live updates
Communities across the northern Caribbean are reeling in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa on Friday after the storm left a trail of devastation as it tore through the region as one of the strongest Atlantic storms on record.
The hurricane brought torrential rains and damaging winds, which left hundreds of thousands without power, destroyed homes and scattered fields with debris. Though rescue and recovery operations were underway, efforts continued to be hindered by widespread power outages and blocked roads.
Friday morning, Melissa barreled away from Bermuda after making its closest approach at about 2 a.m. ET, reaching about 200 miles north-northwest from land as a Category 1 storm with hurricane-force wind gusts reaching Bermuda, the National Hurricane Center said. By 5 a.m., Melissa was packing 90 mph winds and retreating to the northeast at 41 mph.
In Jamaica, local authorities said crews and residents were working to assist with relief support. Desmond McKenzie, the country's minister of local government and community development, previously said over 170 communities across six parishes were moderately or severely affected by the storm.
"The entire Jamaica is really broken because of what has happened, but we remain resilient," said Jamaican Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information Dana Dixon on Thursday. "We will get there... we are going to get to every single Jamaican and give them support."
In Cuba and Haiti, heavy rainfall caused extensive damage. According to Francisco Pichon, resident coordinator for Cuba at the United Nations, more than 200 communities remained isolated and without communications due to flooding and landslides. The hurricane unleashed catastrophic flooding in Haiti, damaging homes and forcing thousands of people into emergency shelters.
Officials across the region said they expected the death toll to rise as they continued to verify reported deaths and search for missing people. By Thursday night, at least 50 deaths had been attributed to the storm.
Hurricane Melissa hit the southwestern coast of Jamaica around 1 p.m. ET Tuesday with catastrophic winds speeds of about 185 mph after churning slowly toward the island nation. The hurricane center said Melissa's landfall is one of the most powerful in the Atlantic Basin's recorded history. As the storm's center moved across western Jamaica to its northern coast, Melissa became a Category 4 storm with winds of 145 mph and torrential rainfall that caused flash flooding and life-threatening storm surge, the hurricane center said.A police officer inspects a car damaged by a fallen tree after the passage of Hurricane Melissa.
" style=padding-bottom:56%>Hurricane Melissa hit the southwestern coast of Jamaica around 1 p.m. ET Tuesday with catastrophic winds speeds of about 185 mph after churning slowly toward the island nation. The hurricane center said Melissa's landfall is one of the most powerful in the Atlantic Basin's recorded history. As the storm's center moved across western Jamaica to its northern coast, Melissa became a Category 4 storm with winds of 145 mph and torrential rainfall that caused flash flooding and life-threatening storm surge, the hurricane center said.A police officer inspects a car damaged by a fallen tree after the passage of Hurricane Melissa.
" data-src=https://ift.tt/ehJ8vRU class=caas-img data-headline="Category 5 Hurricane Melissa slams Jamaica: See the aftermath of catastrophic winds, rain" data-caption="
Hurricane Melissa hit the southwestern coast of Jamaica around 1 p.m. ET Tuesday with catastrophic winds speeds of about 185 mph after churning slowly toward the island nation. The hurricane center said Melissa's landfall is one of the most powerful in the Atlantic Basin's recorded history. As the storm's center moved across western Jamaica to its northern coast, Melissa became a Category 4 storm with winds of 145 mph and torrential rainfall that caused flash flooding and life-threatening storm surge, the hurricane center said.A police officer inspects a car damaged by a fallen tree after the passage of Hurricane Melissa.
">Hurricane Melissa hit the southwestern coast of Jamaica around 1 p.m. ET Tuesday with catastrophic winds speeds of about 185 mph after churning slowly toward the island nation. The hurricane center said Melissa's landfall is one of the most powerful in the Atlantic Basin's recorded history. As the storm's center moved across western Jamaica to its northern coast, Melissa became a Category 4 storm with winds of 145 mph and torrential rainfall that caused flash flooding and life-threatening storm surge, the hurricane center said.A police officer inspects a car damaged by a fallen tree after the passage of Hurricane Melissa.
" src=https://ift.tt/ehJ8vRU class=caas-img>A store stands destroyed following the passage of Hurricane Melissa in Manchester, Jamaica, on October 28, 2025.
" data-src=https://ift.tt/n9lRvTg class=caas-img data-headline="Category 5 Hurricane Melissa slams Jamaica: See the aftermath of catastrophic winds, rain" data-caption="
A store stands destroyed following the passage of Hurricane Melissa in Manchester, Jamaica, on October 28, 2025.
">A store stands destroyed following the passage of Hurricane Melissa in Manchester, Jamaica, on October 28, 2025.
" src=https://ift.tt/n9lRvTg class=caas-img>
A man looks at a fallen tree in St. Catherine, Jamaica, shortly before Hurricane Melissa made landfall on October 28, 2025.
" data-src=https://ift.tt/u79iFvH class=caas-img data-headline="Category 5 Hurricane Melissa slams Jamaica: See the aftermath of catastrophic winds, rain" data-caption="
A man looks at a fallen tree in St. Catherine, Jamaica, shortly before Hurricane Melissa made landfall on October 28, 2025.
">A man looks at a fallen tree in St. Catherine, Jamaica, shortly before Hurricane Melissa made landfall on October 28, 2025.
" src=https://ift.tt/u79iFvH class=caas-img>
1 / 8Category 5 Hurricane Melissa slams Jamaica: See the aftermath of catastrophic winds, rain
Hurricane Melissa hit the southwestern coast of Jamaica around 1 p.m. ET Tuesday with catastrophic winds speeds of about 185 mph after churning slowly toward the island nation. The hurricane center said Melissa's landfall is one of the most powerful in the Atlantic Basin's recorded history. As the storm's center moved across western Jamaica to its northern coast, Melissa became a Category 4 storm with winds of 145 mph and torrential rainfall that caused flash flooding and life-threatening storm surge, the hurricane center said.A police officer inspects a car damaged by a fallen tree after the passage of Hurricane Melissa.
At least 50 deaths reported in Haiti, Jamaica, Dominican Republic after Hurricane Melissa
Authorities in Haiti, which was not directly hit by the hurricane but was battered with days of rainfall, said Thursday that at least 30 people were killed in the storm and 20 more were missing. At least 23 people, including 10 children, died due to floods in Petit-Goâve, a coastal town about 40 miles west of the capital, where a river burst its banks.
In Jamaica, the country's information minister told Reuters on Thursday that at least 19 people were killed in the storm. Local officials previously said they had dedicated a helicopter to the recovery of bodies and authorities were continuing search and rescue efforts.
At least two deaths were reported in the Dominican Republic, including one person who died before the storm made landfall, according to the Pan American Health Organization. Before landfall, authorities also reported the storm caused three deaths in Jamaica and three in Haiti.
Here's how you can help Caribbean nations devastated by Hurricane Melissa
Humanitarian organizations have begun mobilizing to provide immediate relief and prepare for long-term recovery after the storm.
You can help with donations and other forms of support for organizations, including American Friends of Jamaica, the American Red Cross, Americares, CARE, Global Giving, the Salvation Army, and several others. See a full list here.
Jamaican officials also launched the Support Jamaica website at https://ift.tt/eFJOYfv where you can make a donation. The government also warned that there have been "nefarious individuals" collecting money on behalf of the government, but only sites that end in .gov.jm are official government sites.
Contributing: N'dea Yancey-Bragg and Samantha Neely, USA TODAY; Reuters
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hurricane Melissa live updates: Death toll climbs to 50 in Caribbean
Source: "AOL Breaking"
Source: Breaking
Published: October 31, 2025 at 12:54PM on Source: EVENING MAG
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