Overview
- Melissa was declared post‑tropical by the National Hurricane Center as it moved into the North Atlantic after lashing Bermuda and tracking toward Atlantic Canada.
- Power and water service remain severely disrupted in Jamaica, with more than half the island without electricity, nearly half of water systems offline, and towns like Black River reporting up to 90% of roofs lost.
- The regional death toll stands at more than 50, including at least 31 in Haiti, while Cuba reported extensive damage after a Category 3 landfall but no confirmed fatalities.
- Aid is scaling up with Jamaica receiving a record $70.8 million payout from the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility, the U.S. Disaster Assistance Response Team deploying, and the UK announcing additional emergency funding and repatriation flights.
- Officials have warned about viral AI‑generated hurricane videos and urged the public to rely on government portals, as scientists report human‑driven ocean warming likely made Melissa stronger and more likely.