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By JAMIE BULLEN, LIVE COVERAGE EDITOR and RACHEL BOWMAN, US NEWS REPORTER
Updated:
At least 25 people are dead and dozens more are trapped after a river burst its bank and flooded a southern Haitian coastal town.
Jean Bertrand Subrème, Mayor of Petit-Goâve, told the Associated Press that La Digue river bank was overwhelmed with water as a result of Melissa, causing banks to burst and flood nearby homes.
Dozens have homes have collapsed and people remain trapped in the debris, with the mayor adding: 'I am overwhelmed by the situation.'
Melissa is battering eastern Cuba this morning with damaging winds and dangerous flooding, as Donald Trump mobilized rescue teams to assist Caribbean countries with their recovery.
The National Hurricane Center warned that the now Category 2 storm is still powerful with up to 105mph winds as it moves through Cuba and the Bahamas today.
Melissa pummeled Jamaica on Tuesday, leaving 25,000 tourists stranded, and entire towns were underwater. At least eight people have died, including an infant, as a result of Melissa's damage.
Follow live updates below
Hurricane Melissa death toll rises as 25 people are killed in Haiti
The death toll from Hurricane Melissa is rapidly increasing after Haitian officials announced at least 25 people were killed when a river overflowed during the storm.
Jean Bertrand Subrème, mayor of the southern Haitian coastal town of Petit-Goâve, told The Associated Press that 25 people died after La Digue river burst its banks and flooded nearby homes.
'I am overwhelmed by the situation,' he said, noting that dozens of homes collapsed and people are still trapped in the rubble.
Jamaica still at risk from Hurricane Melissa aftermath, expert says
FOX Weather Hurricane Specialist Bryan Norcross told the Daily Mail that Jamaica is still under threat from Hurricane Melissa's aftermath.
'Devastation in Jamaica is widespread from the wind, torrential rain, and the storm surge - the Caribbean water pushed over the shoreline and into communities along the coast,' Norcross said.
'The flood threat continues as rainwater that fell on the mountains channels into rivers and streams as it flows toward the Caribbean.'
Norcross also noted the storm is bound for the Bahamas and Bermuda with dangerous winds.
'Melissa passed over eastern Cuba this morning with winds of over 100 mph. The Southeastern Bahamas are the next in line,' he said.
'The hurricane is forecast to slowly weaken, but some Bahamian islands could experience high-end Category 2 winds of about 110 mph this afternoon and this evening.
'By late tonight, Melissa will be heading out to sea. Bermuda will get at least a side swipe late tomorrow or early Friday.'
Hurricane warning issued for Bermuda
Hurricane Melissa is now offshore of east Cuba, and is moving towards the Bahamas and Bermuda, according to the 11am ET update from the National Hurricane Center.
The Meteorological Service of Bermuda has issued a Hurricane Warning for the island as Melissa is forecast to bring damaging winds and floods.
'Bermuda preparations should be underway and be completed before anticipated first occurrence of tropical-storm-force winds, conditions that make outside preparations difficult or dangerous,' the center said.
Hurricane Melissa caused a roof in the waiting lounge of Sangster International Airport in Jamaica's Montego Bay to collapse as water flowed underneath the seats.
The airport has been temporarily closed since Sunday as the island nation braced for the devastating storm.
Hurricane Melissa knocks Cuban homes to rubble
Cuban families surveyed the damage of Hurricane Melissa in the Santiago de Cuba province on Wednesday.
Turks and Caicos warned to brace for impacts from Hurricane Melissa
The National Hurricane Center has issued a tropical storm warning for the Turks and Caicos Islands.
A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area, according to the agency.
The center forecasted that Turks and Caicos could receive rainfall totals of 1 to 3 inches, and large swells generated by Melissa may cause 'life-threatening surf and rip current conditions' off the islands.
PICTURED: Hurricane damage in Cuban communities
Jamaica PM insists Melissa remains a threat despite leaving island
By Jamie Bullen
Jamaica's Prime Minister Andrew Holness has told the nation that Melissa remains a threat across the island today.
In his latest bulletin, Mr Holness said 'intense rainbands associated with Melissa' were still passing over Jamaica which may result in Tropical Storm conditions.
In his update, he said that 'ongoing catastrophic flash flooding' 'numerous landslide and 'large and destructive waves' will continue today and into tonight.
Although damaging winds are gradually subsiding across Jamaica, Tropical Storm force wind conditions will persist over sections of northern parishes, while strong, gusty winds, at times reaching gale force, may still occur over some southern parishes.
About 140K Cubans without power
Hurricane Melissa is causing river levels to rise and cutting off around 140,000 people, according to the Cuban government.
'A total of 241 communities – home to over 140,000 people – are reported to be cut off,' the government said in a statement to CNN.
Roads have been blocked in Contramaestre, north of where Melissa made landfall, while communities in Guaninao and Ruta Martina are isolated, according to the outlet.
PICTURED: Aftermath of Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica
National Hurricane Center warns Jamaica could still see effects from storm
The National Hurricane Center warned that although Jamaica discontinued its tropical storm warning, the island could still see effects from the weather.
'Melissa is expected to bring an additional 3 to 6 inches across Jamaica, where storm total amounts will be between 12 to 24 inches,' the center said.
'Isolated areas near 30 inches will be possible over mountainous terrain. Ongoing catastrophic flash flooding and numerous landslides will continue today and into tonight.'
Additionally, the center said that swells generated by Melissa will continue to affect portions of Hispaniola, Jamaica, eastern Cuba, and the Cayman Islands during
the next day or so, causing life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.
Hurricane Melissa downgraded to Category 2
Hurricane Melissa is now a Category 2 storm, according to the 8am ET update from the National Hurricane Center.
Hurricane categories range from 1 to 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale and are ranked by their sustained wind speed.
Melissa has a maximum sustained wind speed of 105mph, putting it firmly in the 2 category, which ranges from 96-110mph.
Footage has emerged from the eye of Hurricane Melissa after a specially adapted plane operated by the US Air Force hurricane hunters flew into the center of the storm.
Hurricane Melissa is record breaking storm
Hurricane Melissa was the strongest to hit Jamaica in the island's modern history.
The storm's 185 mph (295 kph) winds and 892 millibars of central pressure tied two records for the strongest Atlantic storm on landfall.
The pressure - the key measurement meteorologists use - tied 1935's Labor Day hurricane in Florida, while wind speed tied a 1935 hurricane and 2019's Hurricane Dorian, said hurricane scientists Phil Klotzbach of Colorado State University and Brian McNoldy of the University of Miami.
Jamaica's top cop leads recovery efforts as Melissa clean up underway
By Jamie Bullen
Jamaica's top police officer is taking part in recovery work this morning as the nation realises the full scale of damage caused by Hurricane Melissa.
Dr Kevin Blake, Commissioner of Jamaica Constabulary Force, was filmed clearing trees from police HQ in Kingston.
The force tweeted:
Commissioner of Police, Dr Kevin Blake, is leading from the front, helping to clear fallen trees from the driveway here at Headquarters. The Commissioner will get a firsthand look at the damage sustained and help chart the way forward.
It comes as Jamaican officials assess the full extent of damage caused by Melissa - the most powerful hurricane to ever strike the island.
Falling tree kills infant in Jamaica
Jamaican officials have confirmed that at least one person was killed as Hurricane Melissa ripped through the island.
A tree fell on an infant and killed the baby, Senator Abka Fitz-Henley, a state minister in the prime minister’s office, told local radio station Nationwide News Network.
Fitz-Henley said most of the destruction is concentrated in Jamaica’s southwest and northwest regions, according to the Associated Press.
'Take heart. It could have been worse,' he said. 'I know people have suffered significant devastation.'
'We are aware of the dire straits which you find yourselves in this morning. We are moving quickly.'
The death toll from Hurricane Melissa has now risen to eight, with four killed in Jamaica, three in Haiti and one in the Dominican Republic.
TikTok user Jourdain, who goes by the username @travelwithjourdain , has been documenting her time at a Sandals Resort in Jamaica's South Coast as Hurricane Melissa made landfall as a Category 5 storm.
Her posts received backlash, with many people bashing her for traveling to Jamaica in the first place as the storm headed towards the island.
Jamaica declared a 'disaster area'
Jamaica has been declared a 'disaster area' after Hurricane Melissa wreaked havoc on the island leaving a trail of destruction.
Entire towns have been left underwater and tens of thousands of tourists remain trapped after Melissa, the most powerful storm in the Caribbean's modern history, tore into the nation yesterday.
Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness said the island was a 'disaster area' as he seeks to 'prevent any exploitation at a time when citizens are securing food, water and supplies' in the midst of the tragedy.
Hurricane Melissa on track to strike the Bahamas and Bermuda
The hurricane, which had top sustained wind speeds of 115 mph as it made its second landfall, is now expected to track towards the northeast, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Melissa will strike southeastern or central Bahamas as a strong Category 2 storm Wednesday, bringing a dangerous storm surge and strong gales.
The Bahamas could be pummeled with up to 10 inches of rain, which forecasters warn could trigger flash floods and landslides.
By Wednesday evening, Melissa is expected to continue northeast, accelerating over the open Atlantic Ocean, and strike Bermuda as a Category 1 hurricane on Thursday.
Pope Leo offers prayers for victims of Hurricane Melissa
Pope Leo offered his thoughts and prayers for those impacted by Hurricane Melissa.
'In recent days, Hurricane Melissa has struck Jamaica, a storm of catastrophic force that is causing severe flooding. At this very hour, it is crossing Cuba with devastating force. Thousands of people have been displaced, and homes, infrastructure, and several hospitals have been damaged,' he said.
'I assure everyone of my closeness, praying for those who have lost their lives, for those who are fleeing, and for those communities who, as they await the storm's developments, are living through hours of anxiety and worry. I encourage the civil authorities to do everything possible. And I thank the Christian communities, together with volunteer organizations, for the assistance they are providing.'
Hurricane Melissa batters Cuba
Hurricane Melissa was moving across Cuba on Wednesday.
Authorities in Cuba had evacuated more than 735,000 people, President Miguel Díaz-Canel said.
Forecasters warned the storm would cause catastrophic damage in Santiago de Cuba, the country’s second-largest city, and nearby areas.
Hurricane Melissa pummeled Cuba early Wednesday after leaving a path of destruction across Jamaica, where 25,000 tourists remain stranded and entire towns were under water.
The 'storm of the century' could take days or even weeks to recover in the worst-hit parts of Jamaica, with landslides and fallen trees and power lines making it difficult for rescue crews to access some flood-ravaged regions.
Meanwhile in Cuba, as many as 735,000 residents heeded warnings from the nation's president and emergency response crews as they fled their homes along the coast and mountainous regions in the path of the storm ahead of its arrival on Wednesday.
US State Department launches rescue teams
The US State Department announced it has deployed a regional Disaster Assistance Response Team and activated US-based Urban Search and Rescue teams to bolster response efforts.
'These teams are working with affected countries and local communities to determine what assistance is needed and with interagency, international and US military partners to coordinate emergency response efforts,' the department said.
Speaking with reporters onboard Air Force One as he finishes his visit to Asia, Donald Trump said he is prepared to offer assistance to Jamaica when cleanup efforts begin and the monumental task of rebuilding begins.
'On a humanitarian basis, we have to, so we’re watching it closely,' he said.
'We’re prepared to move. It’s doing tremendous damages as we speak.'
Trump also marveled at the storm’s strength. It was a Category 5 when it made landfall in Jamaica - the worst the island has ever seen.
'I’ve never seen that before. I guess it can get that high, but I’ve never seen it,' he said.
