Source: Aljazeera

DST News: The death toll from Hurricane Melissa has climbed to 49, with many people still unaccounted for as rescue operations continue across the northern Caribbean.

Haiti has suffered the highest number of casualties, reporting at least 30 deaths and 20 people missing after days of relentless rain and flash flooding, despite the storm never making landfall there. Jamaica has confirmed 19 deaths, while the Dominican Republic reported one fatality before the hurricane moved on.

Hurricane Melissa, one of the most powerful Atlantic storms ever recorded, struck Jamaica’s western region on Tuesday as a Category 5 storm, packing winds of up to 295 kilometres per hour (183 miles per hour). Though Kingston was spared the worst, officials described the western coast as “devastated.”

The hurricane weakened to Category 3 strength before hitting Cuba, then continued its destructive path past the Bahamas on Wednesday night. The US National Hurricane Center said the storm was expected to pass within 60 kilometres (37 miles) of Bermuda.

Melissa’s impact has been felt across the Caribbean, with widespread flooding, uprooted trees, and damaged infrastructure reported in multiple countries. Even as its intensity has decreased, the storm’s vast reach has caused severe hardship in communities already struggling with fragile infrastructure and poverty.

In Haiti and the Dominican Republic, which share the island of Hispaniola, authorities reported extensive flooding and landslides. Shelters in Port-au-Prince housing families displaced by gang violence were inundated with rainwater, worsening the humanitarian crisis.

Cuban officials said the island’s eastern half endured powerful winds and heavy rainfall but, so far, no fatalities have been reported.

Search and recovery teams continue to comb through affected areas amid fears that the death toll may rise as communication lines and road access remain cut off in several regions.