Hurricane Melissa batters Caribbean – Jamaica, Haiti suffer heavy losses as death toll rises

Daijiworld Media Network - Jamaica

Jamaica, Oct 31: Hurricane Melissa, one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in the Atlantic, has unleashed widespread destruction across the northern Caribbean, leaving at least 19 people dead in Jamaica and causing catastrophic flooding in Haiti. Cuba, meanwhile, has begun the slow process of recovery as the storm moves toward Bermuda.

The Category 5 hurricane, which made landfall in Jamaica earlier this week with wind speeds reaching 185 mph (295 kph), tied the record for the strongest Atlantic hurricane to make landfall.

Jamaican authorities confirmed that at least 19 people have died, including a child, and warned that the toll could rise further. “The confirmed death toll from Hurricane Melissa is now at 19, including nine in Westmoreland,”