Overview
- The National Hurricane Center reported Melissa at Category 1 near the Bahamas with dangerous surf, storm surge and heavy rain still expected, and hurricane conditions possible in parts of the archipelago as the system moves northeast.
- At least 30 deaths have been reported across the Caribbean, with Haiti suffering the highest toll after deadly river flooding in Petit‑Goâve, and additional fatalities confirmed in Jamaica, Panama and the Dominican Republic.
- Jamaica absorbed a Category 5 landfall with estimated 295 km/h winds, leaving roughly 77% of the country without power and more than 25,000 people in shelters as authorities restore services and reopen airports for relief operations.
- Cuba reported extensive damage after major‑hurricane landfall in the east, evacuating more than 735,000 people as floods, landslides and power cuts isolated communities in provinces including Santiago de Cuba and Holguín.
- Emergency aid is mobilizing regionwide, with UN agencies pre‑positioning supplies, the United States deploying disaster and urban search‑and‑rescue teams, the United Kingdom allocating about $3.3 million, and precautionary closures enacted in Bermuda.