Overview
- At least about 50 people are confirmed dead across the region, including 19 in Jamaica and 31 in Haiti, with authorities warning the toll could rise as isolated areas are reached.
- Jamaica reports massive infrastructure damage with more than half the island still without electricity, many water systems offline, and hard‑hit towns like Black River and Falmouth reporting widespread roof loss and facility destruction.
- The National Hurricane Center declared Melissa post‑tropical on Friday after a 10‑day life cycle, as the weakening system moved into the North Atlantic following impacts on Cuba, the Bahamas and Bermuda.
- Emergency aid operations are underway, including the deployment of a U.S. Disaster Assistance Response Team, incoming humanitarian flights, and a record $70.8 million CCRIF insurance payout to Jamaica; officials say a World Bank catastrophe bond has also been triggered.
- Scientists say unusually warm ocean waters helped Melissa intensify to 185 mph at Jamaica landfall, tying the strongest Atlantic landfall on record, with studies finding human‑caused warming made the storm several times more likely and boosted its peak winds.