Hurricane Melissa tore through the northern Caribbean and was picking up speed as it churned toward Bermuda Thursday after killing at least 34 people across Jamaica, Cuba and Haiti.
The devastating stormâs death toll has continued to rise as the hurricane, once a Category 5 storm, continues to weaken while unleashing heavy rains and hurricane conditions over the Bahamas. Melissa was forecast to pass near the northwest of Bermuda late Thursday, bringing gusty winds and destruction, before weakening on Friday.
Authorities in Haiti said at least 25 people, including 10 children, have been killed. In Jamaica, eight deaths have been confirmed, while one fatality has been reported in the Dominican Republic, bringing the current known death toll across the Caribbean to 34. No casualties had been reported in Cuba, but the island has suffered widespread destruction.
The storm was the Caribbeanâs third-most intense hurricane on record, as well as its slowest-moving, which made for even greater devastation from Jamaica to Cuba and Haiti.
The U.S. said it would deploy disaster response teams to the Caribbean to help those affected by Melissa.
Cubaâs Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs says he has been in contact with U.S. State Department
Cubaâs Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carlos FernĂĄndez de Cossio, wrote on X that they had been in contact with the Trump administration about receiving aid.
He wrote on X in Spanish, âFollowing public communications today regarding the damages from the hurricane, we have been in contact with the State Department and are awaiting clarification on how and in what way they are willing to assist.â
No reports of death or injuries in Bahamas
There were no initial reports of deaths or injuries in the Bahamas following Hurricane Melissa, which passed over the islands on Wednesday as a Category 1 storm.
Residents were evacuated to the capital, Nassau, ahead of the storm.
However, Melissa tracked over the central Bahamian islands, which were not evacuated.
Part of West Jamaica ‘flattened’ by storm
West Jamaica was destroyed by Hurricane Melissa, with some areas âflattened,â Dana Morris Dixon, Jamaicaâs information minister, said during a Thursday news briefing.
âI think the entire Jamaica is really broken because of what has happened,â she said, according to the New York Times. âBut we remain resilient.â
The military was working on cutting through blocked roads to reach Black River and other decimated communities, Dixon said.
Over 130 roads were blocked by debris Thursday morning, according to Robert Morgan, Jamaicaâs minister in charge of infrastructure. Military leaders were prioritizing clearing roads leading to hospitals, airports and other key infrastructure.
Officials were using helicopters to respond to reports of any bodies found.
Residents wade through flooded streets in Haiti
Britons fear for loved ones in devastated Jamaica in wake of Hurricane Melissa: âWeâve never seen anything like thisâ
Melissa struck Jamaica on Tuesday as the strongest-ever hurricane to directly hit its shores, with sustained winds of 185 mph. The category 5 storm battered hospitals, tore through an airport and swamped whole towns underwater, even unleashing the threat of displaced crocodiles.
The death toll climbed on Thursday with four fatalities confirmed as people dug from the rubble in the wake of the stormâs devastation. As the storm ploughed through the northern Caribbean on Wednesday and Thursday, a further 25 people were confirmed dead in Haiti.
More than 25,000 people remained crowded into shelters across the western half of Jamaica, with 77 per cent of the island without power. Tens of thousands of tourists remain stranded, including 8,000 Britons.
Bermuda to close schools and ferries ahead of storm’s impact
Bermuda will close its sole airport Thursday night as well as all schools and ferries on Friday âout of an abundance of caution,â National Security Minister Michael Weeks said.
âI implore all residents to remain vigilant while we navigate another natural threat to our way of life,â he said in a statement.
Residents are also urged to stay off the roads until further notice.
Melissa was barreling toward Bermuda Thursday morning after leaving a trail of destruction from Jamaica to Cuba and Haiti in its wake.
On board with the âHurricane Huntersâ flying into the eye of a 185mph storm
The crew on board NOAA’s WP-3D Orion flew out to collect critical data that helps improve forecasts and research.
Hurricane Melissa began as a category 5 storm as it made landfall in Jamaica and weakened to Category 1 as it moved across the Bahamas. It is expected to pass near Bermuda.
Hurricane warning in effect as Melissa approaches Bermuda
Hurricane Melissa was about 515 miles southwest of Bermuda by 11 a.m. Thursday, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The storm was churning northeast at 24mph, with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph and even higher gusts.
Melissa is expected to continue moving northeast over the next few days, according to the NHC.
The center of Melissa is expected to pass to the northwest of Bermuda later Thursday evening.
A hurricane warning remains in effect for Bermuda.
Hurricane Melissa heads toward Bermuda, fueling downpours in northeast U.S.
Tropical moisture from Hurricane Melissa could bring some severe weather to the northeastern U.S., according to a report.
The Category 2 storm, headed toward Bermuda early Thursday, will likely bring downpours, strong to severe thunderstorms, and powerful winds to areas spanning from Washington, D.C., to Boston, according to the Washington Post.
Melissa was about 600 miles southwest of Bermuda with wind speeds of 105 mph, moving northeast at 21mph on Thursday.
It made landfall in the Bahamas on Wednesday evening as a Category 1 hurricane.
While the storm is tracking away from the Caribbean, its impacts are expected to last throughout the week.
Melissa could make a fourth and final landfall in Newfoundland late Friday or early Saturday, bringing heavy rain and winds and combining with another storm system impacting the North Atlantic.
No tropical storms or hurricanes are currently forecasted to develop immediately after Melissa. However, hurricane season in the Atlantic runs through the end of November.
Hurricane Melissa could make a fourth landfall
The powerful, record-breaking hurricane has made landfall three times so far in Jamaica, Cuba and the Bahamas.
Melissa landed in Western Jamaica, near New Hope, on Tuesday afternoon as a Category 5 storm.
It then hit Southeastern Cuba on Wednesday morning as a Category 3 storm. On Wednesday afternoon, it hit the Bahamas, near Clarence Town, as a Category 1 storm.
Melissa is forecast to pass to the northwest of Bermuda late Thursday moving into Friday.
The storm also has the potential to pass or make landfall in Newfoundland, Canada, on Friday or Saturday.
