Death toll from Hurricane Melissa climbs to 49, with many still missing

"Hurricane Melissa has now killed some 49 people, although that figure is expected to rise as search and rescue operations continue across the trail of destruction the storm left in its wake in the northern Caribbean. Authorities in Haiti on Thursday reported at least 30 deaths and 20 missing. The impoverished nation was not directly hit but suffered days of torrential rains from the lumbering storm. Jamaica has reported 19 deaths, according to the Reuters news agency."

"Melissa, one of the strongest Atlantic storms on record, made landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday as a Category 5 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of up to 295 kilometres per hour (183 miles per hour). The hurricane did not hit the capital of Kingston, but it slammed into Jamaica's western side, where it wrought devastation, according to government officials. Melissa later struck Cuba as a Category 3 hurricane before continuing on a path past the Bahamas on Wednesday night."

"It is due to pass within 60km (37 miles) of Bermuda, according to the US National Hurricane Center. The storm's force has been felt across the Caribbean, bringing destructive winds, rain, and flooding even as its strength has steadily declined over the past week. Although Haiti and the Dominican Republic, which share the island of Hispaniola, did not sustain a direct hit, they both experienced heavy flooding, according to local reports."

Hurricane Melissa has killed about 49 people across the northern Caribbean, with authorities expecting the toll to rise as search and rescue operations continue. Haiti reported at least 30 deaths and 20 missing after days of torrential rains and catastrophic flooding despite not receiving a direct hit. Jamaica reported 19 deaths after the storm made landfall in its western region as a Category 5 hurricane with sustained winds up to 295 km/h. Melissa later hit Cuba as a Category 3 storm, passed near the Bahamas, and was forecast to move within 60 km of Bermuda. Eastern Cuba suffered heavy winds, and hundreds of thousands across the region remain without power.

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