Hurricane Melissa Death Toll Rises to 49 Amidst Widespread Caribbean Devastation
Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 storm, has claimed 49 lives across the Caribbean, with many still missing, as search and rescue operations continue amidst extensive destruction.
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Overview
- Hurricane Melissa, a record-tying Category 5 storm with 295 km/h winds, caused catastrophic destruction across the Caribbean, making landfall in Jamaica and later striking Cuba.
- The confirmed death toll from Hurricane Melissa has tragically risen to 49, including 30 in Haiti and 19 in Jamaica, with many more individuals still reported missing.
- Jamaican villages suffered widespread devastation, with nearly all buildings destroyed and 90% of Black River homes losing roofs, as extensive infrastructure damage hinders recovery.
- Search and rescue operations continue, with the US State Department deploying a disaster response team, though aid delivery to severely affected Caribbean areas remains challenging.
- Now a Category 2 storm heading towards Bermuda, scientists are linking Hurricane Melissa's rapid intensification and extreme power to the broader impacts of climate change.
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Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the Hurricane Melissa story by emphasizing the catastrophic scale of the humanitarian disaster and the immense recovery challenges. They highlight the widespread devastation with evocative language and include critical perspectives on the U.S. government's delayed aid response, attributing it to internal issues like a shutdown and USAID elimination. This editorial choice underscores the urgency and potential systemic hurdles in relief efforts.
"The entire Jamaica is really broken because of what has happened."
CBS News"Electricity remains out to most of the island and as people try to salvage damaged homes and belongings from floodwaters and mud, many thousands are growing increasingly desperate for aid."
BBC News"The rumble of large machinery, whine of chain saws and chopping of machetes echoed through communities across the northern Caribbean on Thursday as they dug out from the destruction of Hurricane Melissa and surveyed the damage left behind."
NPR"Across the U.S., there are furious efforts to get aid into the Caribbean nation of Jamaica following the trail of destruction and devastation left by Hurricane Melissa."
CBS News"The extensive damage caused to Jamaica can be seen from outer space, with satellite images of the island showing the near flattening of towns and the flooding of fishing villages and farmland."
USA TODAY"Hurricane Melissa wreaked catastrophic damage in Caribbean communities after it made landfall on Tuesday."
Business Insider"Each pair captures a once vibrant-looking town reduced to dirt and rubble."
CBS News"The scale of devastation left by Hurricane Melissa is becoming clear after the record-setting storm tore through Jamaica, Haiti and Cuba, leaving at least 32 people dead."
BBC News"The death toll was also growing across the region – with more than 30 deaths attributed to the storm in Jamaica, Haiti and the Dominican Republic – as authorities continued to assess the number of casualties."
USA TODAY"Parts of the Caribbean were slowly surveying the extensive damage caused by Hurricane Melissa on Thursday after the storm brought destruction to the region and left dozens of people dead."
USA TODAY"The urgent humanitarian challenge has prompted immediate responses from countries around the world and nongovernmental organizations alike after more than 400,000 people in Jamaica were directly impacted."
NBC News"The devastation is enormous."
CBS News"The devastation is enormous, with many residents left homeless and in despair after the storm's destruction."
ABC News"Stunned residents wandered about, some staring at their roofless homes and waterlogged belongings strewn around them."
Associated Press"Hurricane Melissa has continued its devastating sweep across the Caribbean, destroying homes and infrastructure, flooding neighbourhoods and leaving dozens dead."
BBC News"The storm's ruin still tugged at her heartstrings, as she thought of Jamaicans who were struggling even before the storm hit and wondered how they would fare after it rolled through."
Chicago Sun-Times"Taken together, this behavior makes Melissa a kind of poster child for the new normal of hurricanes, experts said."
NBC News"Hurricane Melissa made landfall as a Category 5 storm on Tuesday, slamming Jamaica with wind speeds of up to 185 miles per hour and devastating homes, local businesses, and infrastructure across the Caribbean."
Business Insider"People in Jamaica woke up to devastation Wednesday morning, with roughly three-quarters of the island still without power and much of its western side still underwater."
Gizmodo"Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Cuba overnight as a Category 3 storm severely flooding streets and damaging infrastructure."
USA TODAY"Hurricane Melissa has caused widespread destruction across the Caribbean, leaving at least seven dead and thousands more displaced and in the dark."
USA TODAY"The most populous part of the country, the capital Kingston, missed the brunt of the storm."
NPR"Hurricane Melissa has rapidly intensified into a major Category 4 storm, producing maximum sustained wind speeds of 145 mph."
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FAQ
Hurricane Melissa caused catastrophic destruction in Jamaica, Cuba, and Haiti, with Jamaican villages facing widespread devastation and Black River losing roofs on 90% of its homes.
The confirmed death toll has risen to 49, including 30 deaths in Haiti and 19 in Jamaica, with many more people reported missing.
Extensive infrastructure damage such as widespread destruction of homes, damaged hospitals, and isolated communities due to floods and landslides are hindering recovery and aid delivery.
The US State Department has deployed a disaster response team to assist the Caribbean countries impacted by Hurricane Melissa, although aid delivery remains difficult.
Scientists are linking Hurricane Melissa's rapid intensification to broader impacts of climate change, highlighting the extreme power and speed at which the storm strengthened.
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