Overview
- The National Hurricane Center said Melissa reached eastern Cuba as a Category 3 hurricane, with forecasts calling for up to 12 feet of storm surge and as much as 20 inches of rain with likely landslides.
- Cuban officials reported evacuations in the hundreds of thousands, with hurricane warnings across eastern provinces and the Bahamas and a hurricane watch issued for Bermuda.
- Jamaica sustained extensive damage after a 185 mph Category 5 landfall near New Hope, with St Elizabeth described as underwater and four hospitals damaged, including one that lost power and evacuated 75 patients.
- Power and communications remain severely disrupted in Jamaica, with more than half a million customers without electricity, widespread connectivity losses, and airports targeting a Thursday reopening to facilitate relief flights.
- At least seven deaths have been reported across Jamaica, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic, as aid agencies and the Red Cross prepare large-scale relief operations once conditions allow.