Hurricane Melissa Devastates Jamaica, Kills Dozens, Heads to Bermuda

Hurricane Melissa made landfall in western Jamaica on Oct. 28 as a catastrophic Category 5 with sustained winds near 185 mph and a dropsonde-recorded instantaneous gust of 252 mph, causing widespread destruction and communities reduced to debris. Authorities now report death toll estimates ranging from the mid‑20s to more than 30 across Haiti, Jamaica and Cuba as assessments continue. The storm also struck eastern Cuba, where roughly 735,000 people were evacuated and widespread flooding, roof losses and infrastructure collapse were reported, while Haiti suffered river overflows and washed-away sections of a national highway. The Bahamas and parts of the Dominican Republic were battered, with flooding beginning to subside in some islands though risks remain, and large communications and transport outages have hindered rescue and relief operations across the region. Scientists say human-caused climate change made Melissa about four times more likely, and the storm had weakened to Category 1 (about 105 mph sustained) as it steered toward Bermuda while emergency crews and relief organizations begin ground assessments and aid operations.