Hurricane Melissa kills 20 in Haiti, including 10 children; death toll rises in Cuba

Santiago de Cuba, Cuba: Hurricane Melissa was bearing down on the Bahamas on Wednesday after carving a destructive path through the Caribbean, leaving at least 30 people dead or missing in Haiti and widespread devastation across Jamaica and Cuba.

Although somewhat weakened, Melissa remains a serious threat, with damaging winds and torrential rains expected to lash the Bahamas before the storm moves towards Bermuda late on Thursday, according to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC).

“In the Bahamas, residents should remain sheltered,” the NHC warned, adding that those in Bermuda should complete preparations “before the anticipated first occurrence of tropical-storm-force winds.”

As the hurricane moved away from Cuba, residents began to assess the destruction. President Miguel Díaz-Canel described the damage as “extensive”. In the island’s eastern provinces—already struggling amid Cuba’s worst economic crisis in decades—floodwaters inundated homes, toppled power lines and tore roofs from buildings.

Authorities said about 735,000 people were evacuated, mostly from Santiago de Cuba, Holguín and Guantánamo. In Santiago de Cuba, 55-year-old homemaker Mariela Reyes described how fierce winds tore the roof from her home and flung it a block away.

“It’s not easy to lose... the little you have,” she told AFP, standing amid flooded rooms.

‘Disaster area’ declared in Jamaica

In Jamaica, where recovery from last year’s Hurricane Beryl was still ongoing, Melissa brought what UN resident coordinator Dennis Zulu called “tremendous, unprecedented devastation” to infrastructure, homes, roads, and communication networks.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness declared the island a “disaster area”, with around 25,000 people forced to seek refuge in emergency shelters.

“Our teams are on the ground working tirelessly to rescue, restore, and bring relief where it’s needed most,” Holness said on X. “To every Jamaican, hold strong. We will rebuild, we will recover.”

Information Minister Dana Morris Dixon said officials were still unable to confirm the number of fatalities due to inaccessibility in some of the hardest-hit regions. She added that efforts were under way to reopen Montego Bay airport so that around 25,000 stranded tourists could depart safely.

Haiti counts the dead

In southern Haiti, at least 20 people, including 10 children, were killed after the Digue River burst its banks when Melissa passed earlier in the week, according to the country’s civil defence chief Emmanuel Pierre. Ten others remain missing.

“People have been killed, houses have been swept away by the water,” said Steeve Louissaint, a resident of the coastal town of Petit-Goâve.

International aid pledged

Pope Leo offered prayers from the Vatican, while the United States said it was coordinating with the governments of Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas. “We have rescue and response teams heading to affected areas along with critical lifesaving supplies,” said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on X.

The UK government also announced £2.5 million (over ₹29 crore) in emergency assistance for the region.

According to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Melissa matched the intensity of the legendary 1935 hurricane when it slammed into Jamaica on Tuesday.

In Seaford Town, farmer and businessman Christopher Hacker described total devastation after his restaurant and banana plantations were flattened.

“Everything is gone,” he said. “It will take a lot to recover from this.”

AFP