Hurricane Melissa death toll rises as storm wreaks destruction across Caribbean – as it happened

A hurricane warning remains in effect for southeastern and central Bahamas, and Bermuda, according to the latest 11pm ET update from the National Hurricane Center (NHC).

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The centre re-issued a tropical storm warning for the Turks and Caicos Islands.

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The NHC said:

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The core of Melissa is expected to continue moving near the southeastern or central Bahamas overnight, and is forecast to pass near or to the west of Bermuda late Thursday and Thursday night.

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Residents in the Bahamas should remain sheltered.

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In Bermuda, preparations should be underway and be completed before the anticipated first occurrence of tropical-storm-force winds, conditions that make outside preparations difficult or dangerous.

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Data from an Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicates the maximum sustained winds increased to near 100 mph (155 kph) with higher gusts, and “further strengthening possible tomorrow before weakening likely begins on Friday.”

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National weather forecasters were able to provide critical warnings, collect satellite data and fly aircraft into the eye of powerful Hurricane Melissa during the US government shutdown.

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That work was critical ahead of Melissa’s landfall in Jamaica as a violent storm that is not expected to strike the United States.

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Many National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) employees are considered essential, which means they are working during the shutdown without pay.

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“They are carrying on as normal, without getting paid for their sometimes stressful and exhausting work,” said Kristen Corbosiero, professor and chair of the department of atmospheric and environmental science at the University of Albany.

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Weather forecasters have been among those hit by the Trump administration’s staff cuts, although some positions were reopened after concerns about dangerous understaffing.

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Hurricane Melissa tied the 1935 record for the most intense storm to ever make landfall when it battered Jamaica on Tuesday, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

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You can read more about its devastating impact on Jamaica from the Guardian’s Caribbean correspondent, Natricia Duncan, reporting from Kingston.

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Minor coastal flooding is possible in the Turks and Caicos Islands on Wednesday evening, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).

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A tropical storm warning is in place for the region, expected to continue through the night.

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Swells generated by Melissa will continue to impact the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Bahamas for the next few days, and will spread toward Bermuda later this week, “causing life-threatening surf and rip current conditions,” according to the NHC.

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Rainfall in eastern Cuba has subsided, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).

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The centre said additional scattered showers are forecast through this evening, forecasting “additional rainfall amounts of 1 to 2 inches.”

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With storm total rainfall of 10 to 20 inches, possibly up to 25 inches over Cuba’s mountainous terrain, the risks are still high. The NHC said:

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The ongoing life-threatening and potentially catastrophic flash flooding and landslides will likely persist into the evening.

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The National Hurricane Center’s (NHC) 8pm bulletin also issued an official hurricane warning for Bermuda and said:

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Hurricane conditions are now expected on Bermuda late Thursday and Thursday night with tropical storm conditions expected earlier on Thursday.

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Heavy rain may begin to affect Bermuda on Thursday or Thursday night.

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The NHC said preparations in Bermuda should be completed before “anticipated first occurrence of tropical-storm-force winds” that make outside preparations difficult or dangerous.

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Hurricane Melissa is producing “damaging winds, flooding rains and a dangerous storm surge in the Bahamas,” according to the latest 8pm ET public advisory from the National Hurricane Center (NHC).

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It warned residents in the Bahamas to remain sheltered as “hurricane conditions” sweep through the southeastern and central regions, which is forecast to continue through the evening.

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The NHC update said:

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The core of Melissa is expected to continue to move across the southeastern or central Bahamas this evening.

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Maximum sustained winds are near 90 mph (150 km/h) with higher gusts. Some restrengthening is forecast tonight into tomorrow with weakening beginning thereafter.

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Over the southeast Bahamas, storm total rainfall of 5 to 10 inches are expected through Thursday morning, which will result in areas of flash flooding.

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A storm surge of 4 to 7 ft above normally dry ground is possible in the southeastern Bahamas.

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The death toll from Hurricane Melissa has continued to rise as the storm left a trail of destruction across the Caribbean. If you’re just joining us now, here are some of the key moments of the day so far:

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  Dozens of people have died in Haiti after Melissa’s rains swelled river banks, according to reports. At least 25 people have been killed, according to latest updates.

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  In Jamaica, authorities confirmed four bodies had been recovered on Wednesday. Two people were found dead in the Black River area, the other two in the Gallon Beach district. Melissa slammed into Jamaica as a record-breaking and destructive category 5 storm with sustained winds of 185 mph before being downgraded to a category 3 when it hit Cuba with winds of 120 mph, according to the US National Hurricane Center.

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  Hurricane Melissa was downgraded to a category one storm late on Wednesday, with maximum wind speeds of 90mph before it hits the south east or central Bahamas.

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  Disaster Assistance Response Team personnel from across the US were on their way to Jamaica, the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic, where they will also attend to issues in neighbouring Haiti, three US state department officials have told the Associated Press. They were expected to arrive in the next 24-48 hours.

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  Jamaican officials said buildings on the island had suffered structural damage, roads were still impassable and power outages continued to be widespread. Airports were set to reopen on Thursday for emergency relief flights after damage there was said to be superficial.

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  At least 241 communities remained isolated and without communications following the storm’s passage across Santiago province, according to preliminary local media reports, affecting as many as 140,000 residents.

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  Across eastern Cuba, authorities evacuated around 735,000 people as the storm approached. Most remained in emergency centers. Cuban president Miguel Diaz-Canel said the country had suffered extensive damage and warned residents against letting down their guard as rains continued to lash the region.

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Jamaica’s airports are set to reopen for emergency relief flights on Thursday, officials have said. Dary Vaz, the minister of energy, telecommunications and transport, said Normal Manley international airport in Kingston had sustained only superficial damage and that the main road to the airport was not damaged.

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Ian Fleming airport in St Mary and Sangster international airport in Montego Bay would also report. Vaz said: “There are a lot of Jamaicans and other persons who want to help who we want to get in.”

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Hurricane Melissa has been downgraded to a category one storm, with maximum wind speeds of 90mph. It’s expected to move across the south east or central Bahamas in the next few hours and then move to the west of Bermuda late on Thursday.

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Disaster Assistance Response Team personnel from across the US are currently on their way to Jamaica, the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic, where they will also attend to issues in neighbouring Haiti, three US state department officials have told the Associated Press. They are expected to arrive in the next 24-48 hours.

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The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the teams are not yet on the ground, said anticipated needs include temporary housing, food and hygiene kits.

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They said the US military could play a role in transporting personnel and supplies to remote areas needing help but that a decision on the scale of such involvement had not yet been made.

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The BBC hears similar, also reporting that the US was sending a disaster response team to Jamaica to assess the scale of need in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa.

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Senior state department officials told the BBC that formal requests for help had also come from Haiti, which would be managed from the Dominican Republic, and the Bahamas – which had requested air support.

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The officials said a team of US experts in water sanitation, food assistance and shelter was on its way to Jamaica and would be on the ground in the next 24 hours to assess needs, with supplies then following. They added that two search and rescue teams based in California and Virginia had been “activated” for the region and they were “trying to get them in as soon as we can”.

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Earlier, US secretary of state Marco Rubio had said the White House was in close contact with governments in the Caribbean. “We have rescue and response teams heading to affected areas along with critical lifesaving supplies,” he said on social media.

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Here are satellite images showing before and after overviews of some of the neighbourhoods and areas of Jamaica that have been devastated by Hurricane Melissa.

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combination of pictures shows an overview of a neighbourhood in White House, Jamaica, before and after the storm.”,”caption”:”This combination of pictures shows an overview of a neighbourhood in White House, Jamaica, before and after the storm.”,”credit”:”Photograph: Satellite image ©2025 Vantor/AFP/Getty Images”}}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1761771434000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”20.57 GMT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1761771972000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”21.06 GMT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1761771827000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”21.03 GMT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”21.03″,”title”:”Satellite images show Jamaica before and after the hurricane”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Thu 30 Oct 2025 03.13 GMT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Wed 29 Oct 2025 05.04 GMT”},{“id”:”690271228f0828c07236c4e5″,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

The head of the St Elizabeth parish police in Jamaica, Supt Coleridge Minto, has confirmed that four bodies were found on Wednesday morning.

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Two were recovered in the Black River area, the other two in the Gallon Beach district. This brings the preliminary death toll in Jamaica to seven people and includes residents killed while preparing for the category 5 hurricane to make landfall. The south-western parish of St Elizabeth was among the worst flooded on Tuesday, and described by local officials as being “under water”.

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Haiti, which is one of the most climate vulnerable and politically fragile countries in the world, has suffered the highest death toll by some margin. But reports of deaths across Melissa’s path are emerging. In neighboring Dominican Republic, a man died on Wednesday after being swept away by floodwaters while trying to clean debris from a sewer, according to Julian Alberto Garcia Roman, a local emergency official told the NYT. A nine-year-old child is also reportedly missing in the capital Santo Domingo.

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Britain’s King Charles III said he and his wife, Queen Camilla, were “profoundly saddened” by the “catastrophic damage” caused by Hurricane Melissa.

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In a social media message, the king expressed his concern and admiration for those affected by the disaster. And he paid tribute to emergency services, frontline workers and volunteers.

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The statement from King Charles said:

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This most dreadful of record-breaking storms reminds us of the increasingly urgent need to restore the balance and harmony of Nature for the sake of all those whose lives and livelihoods may have been shattered by this heartbreaking disaster.

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His message came after the UK government announced £2.5m ($3.3m) in emergency funding for the region, after the deadly storm battered fellow Commonwealth nation Jamaica, then Cuba and Haiti.

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British prime minister Keir Starmer called the devastation caused by the storm “truly shocking”.

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The funding will be used for supplies including shelter kits, water filters and blankets, as well as to help prevent injury and disease outbreaks, the government said.

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The Associated Press is now reporting that at least 40 people have died across Haiti, a rise from the 25 deaths reported earlier.

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Steven Aristil, with Haiti’s Civil Protection Agency, told the AP that 20 of those deaths were reported in the southern coastal town of Petit-Goâve, where another 10 remain missing.

n Earlier on Wednesday, the mayor of Petit-Goâve, Jean Bertrand Subrème, had told the AP that flooding from Hurricane Melissa had killed at least 25 people were killed in that community.

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If you’re just joining us, Hurricane Melissa barrelled north of Cuba on Wednesday after hitting the city of Santiago and isolating hundreds of rural communities while wreaking devastation in Jamaica and drenching Haiti, where 25 people have been killed.

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  Melissa slammed into Jamaica as a record-breaking and destructive category 5 storm with sustained winds of 185 mph before being downgraded to a category 3 when it hit Cuba with winds of 120 mph, according to the US National Hurricane Center.

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  The storm moved north on Wednesday afternoon and had been downgraded to a still dangerous category 2 storm, threatening the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos with damaging winds, rain and storm surge. “Life-threatening storm surge, flash flooding and landslides, and damaging winds are ongoing this afternoon,” the NHC said.

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  At least 241 communities remained isolated and without communications following the storm’s passage across Santiago province, according to preliminary local media reports, affecting as many as 140,000 residents.

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  Across eastern Cuba, authorities evacuated around 735,000 people as the storm approached. Most remained in emergency centers. Cuban president Miguel Diaz-Canel said the country had suffered extensive damage and warned residents against letting down their guard as rains continued to lash the region.

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  The island of Hispaniola, shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic, has faced days of torrential downpours leading to at least four deaths, authorities there said.

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  Another 25 people died in Petit-Goâve, Haiti, after Melissa’s rains swelled a river’s banks, the Associated Press reported, citing the local mayor.

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  Jamaica’s government gave an “all clear” to begin recovery efforts after Melissa, the strongest storm ever to directly hit the island, blasted the island’s western region, demolishing homes, knocking down swaths of trees and washing out roadways.

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  About 77% of the country was without electricity, the government’s information minister said on Wednesday morning. The capital Kingston was spared the worst damage, and authorities hoped to reopen its main airport on Thursday.

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  Authorities said there were no reports of deaths as of Wednesday morning, but said fatalities were possible given the extensive damage.

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  In southwestern Jamaica, the parish of St. Elizabeth was left underwater, an official said, with more than 500,000 residents without power.

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  “The reports that we have had so far would include damage to hospitals, significant damage to residential property, housing and commercial property as well, and damage to our road infrastructure,” Jamaican prime minister Andrew Holness said on CNN after the storm passed. “Our country has been ravaged by Hurricane Melissa but we will rebuild and we will do so even better than before,” he said.

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  Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he was prepared to assist with Jamaica’s recovery. The US state department said it would send search-and-rescue teams.

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  The storm’s center, churning with violent wind gusts over 125 mph and heavy rain, slammed early on Wednesday into Guama, a rural, mountainous area 25 miles west of Santiago de Cuba, the island’s second-most populous city.

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  The storm pressed on north-northeast across eastern Cuba. Authorities had shut down power to virtually all of eastern Cuba, evacuated vulnerable areas and asked residents to shelter in place in the provincial capital Santiago, a city of 400,000 people.

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  By Wednesday afternoon, residents of Santiago began to venture onto the street to survey damage along flooded and debris-littered roads lined with fallen trees and power lines. Many homes had lost roofs in the powerful morning winds, and heavy rains had caused rivers to overflow their banks, isolating communities in rural areas.

n

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An update from the US National Hurricane Center warns that “damaging winds, flooding rains and a dangerous storm surge” are anticipated in The Bahamas through tonight and in eastern Cuba this afternoon.

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A hurricane warning remains in place for areas including Bermuda, while a tropical storm warning is in place for the Turks and Caicos Islands among others.

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The mayor of a southern Haitian coastal town told the Associated Press that 25 people died after a river burst its banks and flooded nearby homes.

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Dozens of homes in Petit-Goave collapsed, and people were still trapped under rubble as of Wednesday morning, mayor Jean Bertrand Subreme said.

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“I am overwhelmed by the situation,” he said as he pleaded with the government to help rescue victims.

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Only one official from Haiti’s Civil Protection Agency was in the area, with residents struggling to evacuate amid heavy floodwaters unleashed by Hurricane Melissa in recent days.

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At least 10 people in Haiti have been killed in floods caused by Hurricane Melissa, which has been battering the Caribbean region, local authorities told Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Wednesday.

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The La Digue River, in the coastal town of Petit-Goave, overflowed its banks, sweeping away several people. According to the town’s mayor, Bertrand Supreme, and the director general of a local hospital, more than ten bodies have been recovered, while the search continues for those still missing.

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The UK government is providing £2.5m in emergency humanitarian funding to support Jamaica’s recovery from the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa, Downing Street has announced.

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Funding will go towards a rapid humanitarian response, reports the PA news agency.

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Hurricane Melissa hit Jamaica as a category 5 hurricane around midday on Tuesday with sustained winds of up to 185mph (295km/h), the worst hurricane to hit the island since meteorological records began. It took hours to cross Jamaica before first weakening and then intensifying again.

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Jamaican prime minister Andrew Holness declared the island a “disaster area” and authorities warned residents to remain sheltered because of continued flooding and the risk of landslides.

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Lisa Sangster, a 30-year-old communications specialist in Kingston, told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that her home was devastated by the storm. She told the news agency:

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My sister … explained that parts of our roof was blown off and other parts caved in and the entire house was flooded.

n

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The scale of Melissa’s damage in Jamaica was not yet clear. A comprehensive assessment could take days because much of the island was still without power, with communications networks badly disrupted.

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street is flooded due to Hurricane Melissa in Kingston, Jamaica.”,”caption”:”A street is flooded due to Hurricane Melissa in Kingston, Jamaica.”,”credit”:”Photograph: Rudolph Brown/EPA”}},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Government minister Desmond McKenzie said several hospitals had been damaged, including in Saint Elizabeth, a coastal district he said was “underwater.” In a briefing, he said:

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n

The damage to Saint Elizabeth is extensive, based on what we have seen.

n

Saint Elizabeth is the breadbasket of the country, and that has taken a beating. The entire Jamaica has felt the brunt of Melissa.

n

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The hurricane was the worst to strike Jamaica, hitting land with maximum wind speeds more powerful than many of recent history’s strongest storms, including 2005’s Katrina that ravaged the US city of New Orleans.

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A downgraded Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Cuba early on Wednesday after ripping a path of destruction across Jamaica, which authorities have designated a “disaster area.”

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The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Melissa, which it described as an “extremely dangerous hurricane”, had weakened to a category 3 storm before it made landfall in Santiago de Cuba province on the island’s southern coast.

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It hit with maximum sustained winds of approximately 120miles (195km) per hour, the NHC said, after fluctuating between category 3 and category 5, the highest on the Saffir-Simpson scale.

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Cuban residents fled the coast as it approached, with local authorities declaring a “state of alert” in six eastern provinces.

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wait in the streets for food hours before Hurricane Melissa hits the city of Santiago de Cuba, Cuba.”,”caption”:”Residents wait in the streets for food hours before Hurricane Melissa hits the city of Santiago de Cuba, Cuba.”,”credit”:”Photograph: Yamil Lage/AFP/Getty Images”}},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Residents told Agence France-Presse (AFP) they had been stockpiling food, candles, and batteries since Monday. Graciela Lamaison told AFP in Santiago de Cuba:

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n

We bought bread, spaghetti, and ground beef. This cyclone is serious, but we’ll get through it.

n

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Authorities in Haiti, east of Cuba, ordered the closure of schools, businesses and government offices on Wednesday.

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Cuban authorities reported that 735,000 people have been evacuated so far.

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Cuban president Miguel Diaz-Canel said on social media platform X:

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n

It will be a very difficult night for all of Cuba, but we will recover.

n

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Floraina Duany, 80, prayed on Tuesday to Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre, patron saint of Cuba, asking that Melissa not cause damage, reports AFP.

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“If you are the mistress of the waters, break up [Hurricane Melissa] so it doesn’t do us so much harm,” she told AFP near her home in Playa Siboney, a town 25 miles (15km) from Santiago de Cuba.

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Desmond McKenzie, minister of local goverment of Jamaica and deputy chair of Jamaica’s Disaster Risk Management Council said in a televised address after Hurricane Melissa hit the island that Jamaica had gone through “one of its worst periods”.

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He said:

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n

Right across the country, almost every parish is experiencing blocked roads, fallen trees [and] utility poles, and excess flooding in many communities. Jamaica has gone through, what I can call, one of its worst periods.

n

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Hundreds of thousands of people had been evacuated to shelters in Cuba, reports the Associated Press (AP). A hurricane warning is in effect for the provinces of Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo, Holguin and Las Tunas.

Hurricane Melissa had top sustained winds of 120mph (193kph) and was moving north-east at 10mph (16kph) according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC). The hurricane was centered 20 miles (32km) east of Chivirico and about 60 miles (97 kilometers) west-southwest of Guantánamo, Cuba.

n Melissa is forecast to cross the island through the morning and move into the Bahamas later on Wednesday. The continuing intense rain could cause life-threatening flooding with numerous landslides, US forecasters said.

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Hurricane Melissa made landfall on the southern coast of eastern Cuba on Wednesday as a category three hurricane, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in its latest advisory.

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Melissa was located about 60 miles (95km) west-southwest of Guantánamo, Cuba, with maximum sustained winds of 120mph (195kph), the Miami-based forecaster said.

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As of 2am ET the National Hurricane Center (NHC) issued hurricane warnings for Cuban provinces of:

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  Granma

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  Santiago de Cuba

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  Guantanamo

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  Holguin

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  Las Tunas

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The NHC said: “Residents in Cuba should seek safe shelter immediately.”

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A NHC hurricane warning is also in place for:

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  Southeastern and Central Bahamas

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The NHC said: “In the Bahamas preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion.”

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A hurricane watch, where hurricane conditions are possible, is in effect for:

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  Bermuda

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A tropical storm warning is in effect for:

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  Jamaica

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  Haiti

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  Cuban province of Camaguey

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  Turks and Caicos Islands

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As Cuba prepares for the storm to make landfall any minute, officials in Jamaica are preparing to assess the damage on Wednesday.

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A video shared by the Jamaican Constabulary Force shows officers surveying extensive destruction in Black River, close to where Hurricane Melissa made landfall on Tuesday as a Category 5 storm.

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The footage showed downed power lines, piles of debris and vehicles sitting in muddy water.

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Extensive damage was reported in parts of Clarendon in southern Jamaica and in the southwestern parish of St. Elizabeth, which was “under water,” said Desmond McKenzie, deputy chair of Jamaica’s Disaster Risk Management Council.

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The storm also damaged four hospitals and left one without power, forcing officials to evacuate 75 patients, McKenzie said.

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More than half a million customers were without power as of late Tuesday as officials reported that most of the island experienced downed trees, power lines and extensive flooding.

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Internet connectivity in Jamaica dropped to a low of 42% of normal levels, according to internet monitoring organisation NetBlocks.

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The storm’s heavy winds caused widespread damage to power and communications infrastructure, cutting off many parts of the country, NetBlocks said.

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The government said it hopes to reopen all of Jamaica’s airports as early as Thursday to ensure the quick distribution of emergency relief supplies.

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The storm already was blamed for seven deaths in the Caribbean, including three in Jamaica, three in Haiti and one in the Dominican Republic, where another person remains missing.

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The National Hurricane Center has, once again, downgraded Melissa to “a category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale,” but said it is still “an extremely dangerous major hurricane.”

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The centre warned the hurricane could “cause life-threatening and potentially catastrophic flash flooding with numerous landslides” as it approaches Cuba.

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For eastern Cuba, total rainfall of 10 to 20 inches is expected through today, with local amounts of 25 inches expected over mountainous terrain.

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Hurricane Melissa will make landfall in Cuba “soon”, according to the latest 2am ET public advisory from the National Hurricane Center (NHC).

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The NHC said:

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Melissa is expected to make landfall soon along the southern coast of eastern Cuba as an extremely dangerous major hurricane.

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On the forecast track, the core of Melissa is expected to move over eastern Cuba through this morning, move across the southeastern or central Bahamas later today, and approach Bermuda Thursday and Thursday night.

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Maximum sustained winds are near 125 mph (205 kph) with higher gusts.

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The US president spoke to reporters on Air Force One, en route from Japan to South Korea:

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We’re watching it closely, and we’re prepared to move.

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I’ve never seen that before. I guess it can get that high, but I’ve never seen it.

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Earlier, Jamaica prime minister Andrew Holness said he received a message from US secretary of state Marco Rubio. In a video interview with NBC’s Tom Llamas, Holness said:

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Secretary of State and the President of the United States have always been good to us, and we’ve always been good and strong partners with the United States.

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We’re confident that whatever assistance they can render, whatever assistance we deem necessary, there will be a great effort to have that fulfilled.

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An official platform was launched by Jamaica’s government to “coordinate relief, mobilise support, and manage recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Melissa.”

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Holness told Llamas the Jamaican government will commence other relief and recovery efforts as soon as it is safe enough to do so.

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Writing on X, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez said 735,000 people had so far been evacuated.

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Earlier, in a televised address to the nation and wearing an olive-green uniform, Díaz-Canel urged the population to not underestimate the power of the storm, calling it “the strongest ever to hit national territory.”

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He asked residents to avoid bathing in swollen rivers and urged them not to leave evacuation sites “until the order has been given.”

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“There will be a lot of work to do. We know there will be a lot of damage.”

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The National Hurricane Center’s (NHC) latest 11pm ET update said the government of Jamaica replaced the “Hurricane Warning” with a “Tropical Storm Warning.”

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Damaging winds are forecast to gradually subside across Jamaica, but the NHC advised locals to “remain safe in shelter until sunrise.”

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Rohan Brown, of Jamaica’s Meteorological Service, warned that as Melissa moves off the coast, its counterclockwise rotation would bring a heavy storm surge to northern Jamaica through the night.

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Welcome to our live coverage of Hurricane Melissa as it travels through the Caribbean.

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Melissa is heading for Cuba’s second-largest city, Santiago de Cuba, after making landfall in neighbouring Jamaica as the strongest cyclone on record to hit the Caribbean island nation.

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The hurricane roared ashore near Jamaica’s south-western town of New Hope, packing sustained winds of up to 185mph (295km/h), according to the US National Hurricane Center, well above the minimum 157mph (252km/h) wind speed of a Category 5 storm, the highest level on the Saffir-Simpson wind scale.

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In south-western Jamaica, the parish of St Elizabeth was left “underwater”, an official said, with more than 500,000 residents without power.

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“The reports that we have had so far would include damage to hospitals, significant damage to residential property, housing and commercial property as well, and damage to our road infrastructure,” Jamaica’s prime minister, Andrew Holness, said on CNN after the storm had passed.

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Melissa weakened to a Category 3 storm but has since strengthened to Category 4 as it neared the Cuban coast. Authorities there said they evacuated about 500,000 people from areas vulnerable to winds and flooding.

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Here are the major developments:

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  Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica’s on Tuesday as a category 5 hurricane. It is the strongest to lash the island since record-keeping began in 1851. The storm lost some power crossing Jamaica’s mountainous terrain, but remains a powerful Category 4 storm, according to the National Hurricane Center.

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  The hurricane is now making a toward Cuba. It could make a second landfall there as early as midnight, bringing winds of between 140 and 145mph.

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  Cuba’s president warned citizens the storm could be “one of the most severe – or possibly the strongest” ever to hit the island. “We want to emphasise … the magnitude of this event,” said Miguel Díaz-Canel, urging Cubans not to return to their homes from shelters.

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  Desmond McKenzie, deputy chairman of Jamaica’s Disaster Risk Management Council, said the south-western parish of St Elizabeth “is under water” – and has sustained extensive damage.

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  Aid agencies and disaster relief charities are preparing to deploy. They will start operations across Jamaica and elsewhere in the Caribbean at speed as soon as weather conditions improve enough to safely do so. The Red Cross has said it expects about 1.5 million people to be directly affected by the disaster, set to become the largest in Jamaica’s history.

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  The extraordinary intensification of Hurricane Melissa is likely to be a symptom of the rapid heating of the world’s oceans. Melissa is the fourth storm in the Atlantic this year to undergo rapid intensification of its wind speed and power. This sort of intensification has been linked to the human-caused climate crisis, which is causing oceans to become hotter.

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This blog is closing. You can find all of our coverage of Hurricane Melissa here. Thanks for following along. Our full report on the disaster is here:

Hurricane warning remains in effect for Bahamas and Bermuda

A hurricane warning remains in effect for southeastern and central Bahamas, and Bermuda, according to the latest 11pm ET update from the National Hurricane Center (NHC).

The centre re-issued a tropical storm warning for the Turks and Caicos Islands.

The NHC said:

The core of Melissa is expected to continue moving near the southeastern or central Bahamas overnight, and is forecast to pass near or to the west of Bermuda late Thursday and Thursday night.

Residents in the Bahamas should remain sheltered.

In Bermuda, preparations should be underway and be completed before the anticipated first occurrence of tropical-storm-force winds, conditions that make outside preparations difficult or dangerous.

Data from an Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicates the maximum sustained winds increased to near 100 mph (155 kph) with higher gusts, and “further strengthening possible tomorrow before weakening likely begins on Friday.”

Here are some photos of Haiti, where at least 25 people have been killed, according to latest updates.

The hurricane has caused severe rainfall, flooding, and landslides, worsening conditions for displaced residents already living in vulnerable shelters.

Forecasting for Hurricane Melissa continued despite shutdown

National weather forecasters were able to provide critical warnings, collect satellite data and fly aircraft into the eye of powerful Hurricane Melissa during the US government shutdown.

That work was critical ahead of Melissa’s landfall in Jamaica as a violent storm that is not expected to strike the United States.

Many National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) employees are considered essential, which means they are working during the shutdown without pay.

“They are carrying on as normal, without getting paid for their sometimes stressful and exhausting work,” said Kristen Corbosiero, professor and chair of the department of atmospheric and environmental science at the University of Albany.

Weather forecasters have been among those hit by the Trump administration’s staff cuts, although some positions were reopened after concerns about dangerous understaffing.

A video posted by the Jamaica Constabulary Force showed the Trelawny division clearing large trees blocking a main road, to deliver aid and “restore normalcy.”

Here are some photos of workers clearing a path through Holland Bamboo, for a convoy carrying aid to Black River, which was hit hard by Hurricane Melissa.

Jamaica left ‘devastated’ by Hurricane Melissa

Hurricane Melissa tied the 1935 record for the most intense storm to ever make landfall when it battered Jamaica on Tuesday, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

You can read more about its devastating impact on Jamaica from the Guardian’s Caribbean correspondent, Natricia Duncan, reporting from Kingston.

Scientists say hurricanes are intensifying faster with greater frequency as a result of warming ocean waters caused by greenhouse gas emissions.

Many Caribbean leaders have called on wealthy, heavy-polluting nations to provide reparations in the form of aid or debt relief.

The Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre, a branch of regional bloc CARICOM, issued a statement in solidarity with those affected by Hurricane Melissa and called for stronger efforts to curb climate change.

It said Melissa’s rapid intensification, fuelled by record-breaking Caribbean sea temperatures, underscored need for the UN’s “loss and damage” fund to be scaled up.

The fund was established in 2023 as a mechanism for developing nations to quickly and reliably access financing to recover from more frequent extreme weather events.

However, donations from wealthy, polluting nations have fallen short of targets and the US withdrew from its board in March.

Natricia Duncan

Janet Lewis, a shop owner from Clarendon is appealing for help for Jamaica.

The roof of her shop and adjoining house was blown off.

She told the Guardian:

It was terrible, terrible, very terrible. The rain and the constant, constant, strong, strong breeze just took the roof off from above me and dropped it on the side of the house.

My house was damaged. In one of the rooms everything caved in. It has affected my business. Jamaica needs help.

Coastal flooding possible in Turks and Caicos

Minor coastal flooding is possible in the Turks and Caicos Islands on Wednesday evening, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).

A tropical storm warning is in place for the region, expected to continue through the night.

Swells generated by Melissa will continue to impact the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Bahamas for the next few days, and will spread toward Bermuda later this week, “causing life-threatening surf and rip current conditions,” according to the NHC.

Rainfall in Cuba subsiding, but life-threatening risks remain

Rainfall in eastern Cuba has subsided, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).

The centre said additional scattered showers are forecast through this evening, forecasting “additional rainfall amounts of 1 to 2 inches.”

With storm total rainfall of 10 to 20 inches, possibly up to 25 inches over Cuba’s mountainous terrain, the risks are still high. The NHC said:

The ongoing life-threatening and potentially catastrophic flash flooding and landslides will likely persist into the evening.

Hurricane warning for Bermuda

The National Hurricane Center’s (NHC) 8pm bulletin also issued an official hurricane warning for Bermuda and said:

Hurricane conditions are now expected on Bermuda late Thursday and Thursday night with tropical storm conditions expected earlier on Thursday.

Heavy rain may begin to affect Bermuda on Thursday or Thursday night.

The NHC said preparations in Bermuda should be completed before “anticipated first occurrence of tropical-storm-force winds” that make outside preparations difficult or dangerous.

‘Hurricane conditions’ in the Bahamas, NHC says

Hurricane Melissa is producing “damaging winds, flooding rains and a dangerous storm surge in the Bahamas,” according to the latest 8pm ET public advisory from the National Hurricane Center (NHC).

It warned residents in the Bahamas to remain sheltered as “hurricane conditions” sweep through the southeastern and central regions, which is forecast to continue through the evening.

The NHC update said:

The core of Melissa is expected to continue to move across the southeastern or central Bahamas this evening.

Maximum sustained winds are near 90 mph (150 km/h) with higher gusts. Some restrengthening is forecast tonight into tomorrow with weakening beginning thereafter.

Over the southeast Bahamas, storm total rainfall of 5 to 10 inches are expected through Thursday morning, which will result in areas of flash flooding.

A storm surge of 4 to 7 ft above normally dry ground is possible in the southeastern Bahamas.

Natricia Duncan

The Mayor of Black River, Richard Solomon, has described Hurricane Melissa’s impact on the coastal town in the southwestern parish of St Elizabeth, as catastrophic.

Speaking with the Guardian, he recounted the traumatic experience of riding out the category five, “storm of the century” at an emergency operating centre. He said:

The hurricane came around eight in the morning and lasted for around nine hours, during which we were pounded with heavy winds and a lot of rain. We got up to 16 feet of water at the centre. That was a bit scary for us, and we were hoping that it would not rise any further, because we were on the second floor, and I tell you, when we saw the water rising, it was a scary moment for us,” he said.

The entire town of Black River is devastated. And that devastation is so catastrophic that the prime minister classified this area as ground zero.

Black River is now without water and electricity and most buildings have lost their roof, Solomon said.

All the town’s vehicles and critical services, fire, police, hospitals, supermarkets are “immensely damaged”, he said, making search and rescue and damage assessment almost impossible.

Solomon, who was personally impacted said he was now focused on trying to help the most vulnerable and said:

My vehicle was totally covered by water. My roof went, so I do understand the pain that persons are feeling, but what is a priority for me now is to focus on getting aid relief for the most vulnerable at this point.

The mayor said that five people from Black River were confirmed dead, but he has heard of other deaths, which he has not yet been able to confirm due to the challenges with communications and transportation.

Solomon estimates that it will take billions to rebuild Black River after Melissa’s annihilation. The focus now, he said, was clearing impassable roads, which have cut off the town. He said:

We are now trying to get the major thoroughfares and critical lateral roads here so that we can get relief supplies in. As I indicated, most of our supermarkets, if not all, were impacted negatively so they won’t be able to provide supplies to persons who are in need at this time.

Summary of the day so far

The death toll from Hurricane Melissa has continued to rise as the storm left a trail of destruction across the Caribbean. If you’re just joining us now, here are some of the key moments of the day so far:

• Dozens of people have died in Haiti after Melissa’s rains swelled river banks, according to reports. At least 25 people have been killed, according to latest updates.

• In Jamaica, authorities confirmed four bodies had been recovered on Wednesday. Two people were found dead in the Black River area, the other two in the Gallon Beach district. Melissa slammed into Jamaica as a record-breaking and destructive category 5 storm with sustained winds of 185 mph before being downgraded to a category 3 when it hit Cuba with winds of 120 mph, according to the US National Hurricane Center.

• Hurricane Melissa was downgraded to a category one storm late on Wednesday, with maximum wind speeds of 90mph before it hits the south east or central Bahamas.

• Disaster Assistance Response Team personnel from across the US were on their way to Jamaica, the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic, where they will also attend to issues in neighbouring Haiti, three US state department officials have told the Associated Press. They were expected to arrive in the next 24-48 hours.

• Jamaican officials said buildings on the island had suffered structural damage, roads were still impassable and power outages continued to be widespread. Airports were set to reopen on Thursday for emergency relief flights after damage there was said to be superficial.

• At least 241 communities remained isolated and without communications following the storm’s passage across Santiago province, according to preliminary local media reports, affecting as many as 140,000 residents.

• Across eastern Cuba, authorities evacuated around 735,000 people as the storm approached. Most remained in emergency centers. Cuban president Miguel Diaz-Canel said the country had suffered extensive damage and warned residents against letting down their guard as rains continued to lash the region.

The death toll from Hurricane Melissa in Haiti has been updated – with officials saying at least 25 people have been killed as the storm raged through the country.

On Wednesday evening, Melissa had top sustained winds of 90 mph (150 kph) and was moving northeast at 16 mph (26 kph) according to the US National Hurricane Center in Miami. The hurricane was centered about 80 miles (135 kilometers) southeast of the central Bahamas.

Authorities in the Bahamas were evacuating dozens of people from the archipelago’s southeast corner ahead of Melissa’s arrival, the Associated Press reports.

Melissa’s center is forecast to move through southeastern Bahamas later Wednesday, generating up to 7 feet (2 meters) of storm surge in the area. By late Thursday, Melissa is expected to pass just west of Bermuda.

Jamaica’s airports to reopen on Thursday

Jamaica’s airports are set to reopen for emergency relief flights on Thursday, officials have said. Dary Vaz, the minister of energy, telecommunications and transport, said Normal Manley international airport in Kingston had sustained only superficial damage and that the main road to the airport was not damaged.

Ian Fleming airport in St Mary and Sangster international airport in Montego Bay would also report. Vaz said: “There are a lot of Jamaicans and other persons who want to help who we want to get in.”

Hurricane downgraded to category one en route towards The Bahamas

Hurricane Melissa has been downgraded to a category one storm, with maximum wind speeds of 90mph. It’s expected to move across the south east or central Bahamas in the next few hours and then move to the west of Bermuda late on Thursday.

US sending several dozen disaster relief workers and urban rescue teams to Caribbean

Disaster Assistance Response Team personnel from across the US are currently on their way to Jamaica, the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic, where they will also attend to issues in neighbouring Haiti, three US state department officials have told the Associated Press. They are expected to arrive in the next 24-48 hours.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the teams are not yet on the ground, said anticipated needs include temporary housing, food and hygiene kits.

They said the US military could play a role in transporting personnel and supplies to remote areas needing help but that a decision on the scale of such involvement had not yet been made.

The BBC hears similar, also reporting that the US was sending a disaster response team to Jamaica to assess the scale of need in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa.

Senior state department officials told the BBC that formal requests for help had also come from Haiti, which would be managed from the Dominican Republic, and the Bahamas – which had requested air support.

The officials said a team of US experts in water sanitation, food assistance and shelter was on its way to Jamaica and would be on the ground in the next 24 hours to assess needs, with supplies then following. They added that two search and rescue teams based in California and Virginia had been “activated” for the region and they were “trying to get them in as soon as we can”.

Earlier, US secretary of state Marco Rubio had said the White House was in close contact with governments in the Caribbean. “We have rescue and response teams heading to affected areas along with critical lifesaving supplies,” he said on social media.