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33m ago

Jamaica Confirms 32 Deaths From Hurricane Melissa as Aid Corridors Open

Relief teams are only now reaching cut-off western parishes, with officials reporting 32 dead in Jamaica.

Hurricane Melissa became one of the most powerful hurricanes in recorded history, its center core boosting the hurricane's highest estimated sustained winds to 180 mph on the morning of Oct. 28, and gusts to more than 250 mph.
A drone view of damage caused by Hurricane Melissa, in Belmont, Jamaica, November 2, 2025.
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Overview

  • Information Minister Dana Morris Dixon said the island’s death toll has risen to 32, while regional fatalities exceed 60.
  • About 25 communities remain isolated, though some are receiving initial supplies by helicopter, according to the labour minister.
  • Roughly half of homes and businesses remain without electricity as crews work to restore power and reopen access routes.
  • U.S. support includes $11 million in immediate assistance and CH-47 helicopter operations that helped deliver the first aid convoys to hard-hit parishes.
  • Early insured-loss estimates for Jamaica range from $2.2 billion to $4.2 billion, and the agriculture minister warns of a crippling hit to farm production in the breadbasket west.