Hurricane Melissa devastates Caribbean, churns toward Bahamas
Hurricane Melissa continues its destructive path through the Caribbean. The storm is now zeroing in on the central Bahamas, bringing 100-mile-an-hour winds, torrential rain and a life-threatening storm surge.
Residents there remain hunkered down as the storm moves north.
Previous destruction
Hurricane Melissa devastated Jamaica, leaving at least four people dead and knocking out power to nearly 80% of the island.
The storm cut off entire communities, with some under a total communications blackout.
Thousands are packed into shelters after the storm ripped apart homes and flooded hospitals, police stations and emergency vehicles.
The storm even destroyed some relief storage facilities.
However, the Jamaican government said it plans to reopen airports on Thursday to allow relief flights to land.
In Haiti, at least 23 people have died and dozens more are missing after catastrophic flooding.
And in Cuba, more than 15 inches of rain fell in some areas. Homes collapsed, debris litters the streets, and already crumbling infrastructure has been pushed past its limits.
Prior to the storm, the country was struggling with food and fuel shortages and frequent blackouts. Now, officials expect those crises to worsen.
US aid
Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted on X that the U.S. is in close contact with regional governments and is sending rescue teams and emergency supplies to Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas.
Melissa is expected to pass just west of Bermuda Thursday night and remains a strong Category 3 storm.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
