The storm, dubbed Melissa, ravaged island nations for days as it moved north through the Caribbean. In Jamaica, 19 deaths have been confirmed, while at least 30 deaths have been confirmed in Haiti, where 20 people are still missing. The death toll is expected to continue to rise in both countries.
In Cuba, no deaths have been reported since 735,000 people were evacuated in the eastern parts of the island nation. In Jamaica, 13,000 are still in shelters, while in Haiti the corresponding figure is around 15,000.
Large parts of the affected areas are without power and the risk of landslides is still high.
According to US statistics, Melissa shares first place as the strongest hurricane to ever make landfall in the Atlantic. Melissa's maximum sustained winds when it reached Jamaica were measured at 83 meters per second, the same level as two previous legendary hurricanes: Dorian, which struck the Bahamas in 2019, and the Labor Day hurricane, whose devastation over the Florida Keys in 1935 is still talked about in the area.
