Hurricane Melissa Hits Eastern Cuba After Raking Jamaica, At Least 10 Dead

Overview

• Melissa made landfall near Chivirico in Santiago de Cuba with sustained winds around 195 km/h, and the U.S. National Hurricane Center called it extremely dangerous.
• Jamaica was declared a disaster zone after the storm crossed the island as a Category 5, ripping roofs, flooding homes and knocking out power.
• Cuban authorities evacuated roughly 735,000 people in eastern provinces including Santiago de Cuba, Holguín and Guantánamo, and suspended classes and nonessential work.
• The confirmed regional death toll rose to 10, with three in Jamaica, three in Haiti, three in Panama and one in the Dominican Republic, as damage assessments continue.
• The United Nations readied 2,000 emergency kits for Jamaica and the Red Cross warned up to 1.5 million people could be directly affected, with scientists linking the storm’s power to unusually warm Caribbean waters.