Hurricane Melissa Weakens Toward Bermuda as Caribbean Death Toll Rises

Overview

• Regional fatality counts continue to climb, with authorities reporting at least 40 to nearly 50 deaths across the Caribbean, including 19 in Jamaica and 24–30 in Haiti after severe flooding.
• Cuba’s state utility says only about 37% of the national grid remains active, with major thermal plants offline, widespread outages in the east, and roughly 735,000 people evacuated.
• Jamaica, struck by Category 5 winds near 300 km/h in its strongest landfall in about 90 years, is assessing damage, with an initial estimate suggesting losses could approach $8 billion.
• The storm weakened as it moved past the Bahamas and is forecast by the U.S. National Hurricane Center to pass northwest of Bermuda with sustained winds near 165–205 km/h and rapidly worsening conditions there.
• Governments and agencies are mobilizing assistance, with the United States offering help to several countries including Cuba, the United Kingdom providing emergency funds and flights, Venezuela sending relief to Cuba, and UNICEF supporting children in Jamaica, Cuba and Haiti.