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The hurricane Melissa, one of the most powerful in over a century, has left at least 49 people dead in the Caribbean following its devastating passage through Haiti, Jamaica, and Cuba, according to official reports and international organizations.
In Haiti, the worst consequences were felt, with 40 fatalities and 10 people missing, while in Jamaica – where Melissa became the worst storm in 174 years – the death toll reached eight. In the Dominican Republic, one person was reported dead and another missing, according to El País, citing information from BBC, referencing data from the AP news agency.
The Minister of Community Development and the official responsible for disaster response in Jamaica, Desmond McKenzie, confirmed this Wednesday that at least four people, three men and one woman, died in Black River, in Saint Elizabeth, where Hurricane Melissa made landfall on Tuesday as a category 5 storm in the southwest of the country, reported Telemundo.
Likewise, authorities from the Catholic Church confirmed on Wednesday the death of one person during the devastating passage of Hurricane Melissa through the town of El Cobre, in the province of Santiago de Cuba.
Haiti was hit very hard
The United States National Hurricane Center (NHC) warned that Haiti is facing an extreme risk due to its precarious infrastructure and environmental vulnerability, which could lead to "extensive damage and isolation of communities."
The agency stated that Melissa has caused catastrophic flooding and landslides in much of the country, where local authorities lack the means to evacuate or assist those affected.
Jamaica without electricity and with massive damage
In Jamaica, winds of 185 mph (295 km/h) left much of the country without electricity, especially in the Montego Bay area.
The passage of Melissa's eye over the island caused landslides, structural damage, and total communication outages, as well as the destruction of coastal and agricultural infrastructure.
Cuba under torrential rains and without electricity
In the eastern part of Cuba, where the hurricane made landfall early Wednesday morning, authorities report severe flooding, total power outages, and thousands of evacuations.
The damage in Holguín, Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo, and Granma is considerable, with entire neighborhoods submerged and landslides in mountainous areas.
The National Defense Council maintains the state of alert, while meteorologists warn that the rains will continue throughout the day with accumulations that could exceed 25 inches in higher areas.
Experts anticipate that the phenomenon will continue to cause dangerous storm surges and torrential rains as it moves through the western Atlantic.
With its tragic toll and widespread destruction, Melissa is already among the deadliest hurricanes of recent decades in the Caribbean, serving as a devastating reminder of the region's vulnerability to climate change and the lack of resilient infrastructure.
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