30 dead as powerful Hurricane Melissa batters Jamaica and Cuba

After unleashing destruction across Jamaica and Cuba, Hurricane Melissa has intensified into a Category 3 storm and is now moving toward the Bahamas.

At least 30 people have been killed — 25 in Haiti, four in Jamaica, and one in Dominica. In the Bahamas, authorities have issued evacuation orders for residents in the southern regions as the storm approaches.

Nearly 700,000 people have been evacuated to safer locations in Cuba, where power outages and blocked roads have been reported across affected areas.

In Jamaica, the parish of St. Elizabeth has been submerged, leaving more than half a million people without electricity. The hurricane’s fierce winds, torrential rains, and landslides have caused extensive damage to homes and infrastructure.

Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness has declared a state of emergency across the country and appealed for international assistance.

Meanwhile, the United States has established a special task force to coordinate relief efforts in areas hit hardest by Hurricane Melissa.

Earlier, Hurricane Melissa, described by meteorologists as the most powerful storm of the century, made landfall in Jamaica before moving toward Cuba, where authorities are taking extensive precautionary measures to minimize potential damage.

According to international media reports, more than 700,000 people across Cuba have been evacuated to safer areas due to fears of flooding, storm surges, and severe destruction.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said that Melissa initially struck Jamaica as a Category 5 hurricane, generating winds of up to 185 kilometers per hour, before weakening slightly to Category 4 as it advanced toward Cuba.

Heavy rainfall, flash floods, and landslides have been reported across the Caribbean, with at least seven deaths confirmed so far — three in Jamaica, three in Haiti, and one in the Dominican Republic.