Kingston/ New Delhi, Nov 2 (UNI ) The death toll from Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica has risen to 28, Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness confirmed today. Jamaican Information Minister Dana Morris Dixon had earlier reported 19 fatalities. “Government confirms 28 Hurricane Melissa–related deaths,” Holness wrote on X, adding that additional reports of fatalities were being verified.
Several countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, and Venezuela, have sent humanitarian aid to the Caribbean in response to the disaster.
Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday as a Category 5 storm, causing severe flooding and extensive damage to infrastructure. The hurricane then barreled through Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and other small Caribbean island nations, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.
Torrential rain and ferocious winds wreaked havoc across Jamaica, Cuba, and the Bahamas. As the storm moved toward Bermuda early Thursday, emergency crews worked to clear roads and restore access to isolated communities in desperate need of aid.
Jamaican Prime Minister Holness visited some of the hardest-hit areas on Wednesday to assess the damage. “Despite the difficulties, the Jamaican spirit shines through as a strong reminder that we are a resilient nation with the capacity to triumph over adversity,” he wrote on social media.
More than 735,000 people were evacuated in Cuba ahead of the storm, according to President Miguel Díaz-Canel, while in the Bahamas, approximately 1,485 residents were evacuated before all flights were suspended.
Warm Caribbean waters and minimal upper-atmosphere wind shear created ideal conditions for Melissa to intensify rapidly. The storm grew from a 70 mph tropical storm on Saturday morning to a 140 mph Category 4 hurricane by Sunday. By Tuesday, Melissa had become a high-end Category 5 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 185 mph — tying it with four other hurricanes as the second-strongest storm ever recorded in the Atlantic since 1851.
When Melissa struck Jamaica as a Category 5 hurricane, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) described the situation as “catastrophic.” “For Jamaica, it will be the storm of the century for sure,” said WMO tropical cyclone specialist Anne-Claire Fontan.
