Officials in Haiti, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic have reported at least 49 fatalities following Hurricane Melissa, which moved through the northern Caribbean this week. As of Thursday, search and rescue operations were ongoing in several countries affected by high winds and flooding from the storm.
Haitian authorities reported 30 deaths and said at least 20 people remain missing. The country was not in the hurricane’s direct path but experienced extensive flooding from heavy rainfall, according to local reports.
In Jamaica, where the storm made landfall on Tuesday, officials have confirmed 19 deaths, according to the Reuters news agency. The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) classified Melissa as a Category 5 hurricane at the time of its landfall on the western side of the island, with maximum sustained winds recorded at 183 mph (295 km/h).
Jamaican government officials described the damage as “devastation.” According to reports, 70 percent of the nation’s electricity customers were left without power. The Dominican Republic reported one death before the storm reached Jamaica.
After passing Jamaica, the hurricane was downgraded to a Category 3 storm before it struck the eastern part of Cuba. While no fatalities have been reported in Cuba, Reuters noted that the region experienced strong winds. The NHC has since forecast that Melissa will pass near Bermuda.
International and regional response efforts are underway. Dennis Zulu, a UN Resident Coordinator, said a preliminary assessment for Jamaica indicated a level of damage “never seen before” by the island.
On Thursday, the U.S. State Department announced the deployment of a Disaster Assistance Response Team to provide assistance to Jamaica, Haiti, the Bahamas, and Cuba.
U.S. weather forecaster AccuWeather released a preliminary estimate of the economic impact, stating that damage and economic loss from the hurricane could range from $48 billion to $52 billion.
