Death toll from Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica hits 45 Over a dozen missing

The number of confirmed deaths from Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica has climbed to 45, while 15 people remain missing, head of Jamaica’s Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management Alvin Gale said.

The death toll is expected to increase as two towns remain cut off from the rest of the island. Helicopters are dropping food and other essential supplies into these two communities, Caliber.Az reports via Associated Press (AP).

He noted that the storm forced the evacuation of 30,000 households, and 1,100 people are still living in 88 emergency shelters.

UN deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq stated that housing remains a major concern, as tents cannot be delivered due to damaged and blocked roads.

According to Gale, nearly 30 roads remain obstructed as crews continue clearing debris.

However, half of the population has regained mobile connectivity, more than 70% now have access to water, and electricity has been restored for over 60% of consumers.

Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 storm that struck Jamaica on October 28, stands among the strongest Atlantic landfalls ever recorded.

The hurricane also pounded Cuba, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic, triggering extensive regional relief operations.

In Jamaica, authorities reported that Melissa ripped the roofs off some 120,000 buildings and affected roughly 90,000 families, with the western part of the island suffering the most severe damage. A week after landfall, more than 2,000 people were still sheltering in emergency facilities.

By Jeyhun Aghazada