Hurricane Melissa leaves 25 dead in Haiti, causes widespread damage in Jamaica and Cuba - WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports | Fort Lauderdale

Haiti Mourns 25 Dead as Hurricane Melissa's Fury Spreads Across Caribbean

The storm that brought devastation to Haiti has now reached Cuba, leaving behind a trail of destruction and loss of life. As Hurricane Melissa churned across the island nation, flooding from the La Digue river swept away homes in the southern town of Petit-Goâve, claiming 25 lives.

Mayors and officials described scenes of utter chaos, with dozens of homes collapsing and people trapped under rubble as rescue efforts struggled to keep pace. The lack of government presence in the area only exacerbated the situation, leaving residents struggling to evacuate amid heavy floodwaters.

In neighboring Jamaica, Hurricane Melissa brought winds of up to 185mph, one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record. At least one death was reported, with widespread damage and power outages reported across the island. The storm's impact was particularly severe in Clarendon and St. Elizabeth parishes, where extensive damage was reported.

In Cuba, parts of Granma province were underwater, including the municipal capital, Jiguaní, which saw over 15 inches of rain. Collapsed houses, blocked mountain roads, and roofs blown off by the storm's powerful winds left authorities scrambling to respond. An estimated 735,000 people remain in shelters, as the government struggles to cope with the scale of the disaster.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel warned that the storm could worsen the island's already severe economic crisis, which has led to prolonged power blackouts and fuel shortages. "There will be a lot of work to do," he said, urging citizens not to underestimate the power of Hurricane Melissa, which he described as the strongest ever to hit national territory.

As the storm continues to spread its fury across the Caribbean, officials in Haiti and Jamaica are racing against time to respond to the disaster. The international community is also mobilizing support, with the U.S. government deploying a disaster response team and search and rescue personnel to the region.

OMG u guys can't even imagine how devastating this hurricane is I'm literally shaking thinking about the people in Haiti 25 dead is just too much!!! And Cuba's situation is getting worse by the minute the thought of those 735k ppl stuck in shelters is heartbreaking I wish they had better gov presence to help people out ASAP anyway, the US sending help is a big deal, at least now we know some people care

man... 25 people lost their lives already? and it's not even over yet... i'm trying to stay positive that everyone will get help they need, but at the same time, can't deny that this storm is a monster... how many more lives gotta be lost before we can call it a calm day? and on top of that, it's affecting cuba too... those shelters are going to be packed for a loooong time... my heart goes out to all the affected families

feels so bad for the people of Haiti and Cuba right now... it's like the storm just came out of nowhere and wiped out entire communities . 25 lives lost is 25 too many . I wish the government could've done more to help, but at least they're trying to respond to the disaster now . The international community stepping in with aid and support is a big deal too . We should all be sending positive vibes to those affected by this storm

THIS IS JUST TRAGIC!!! 25 DEAD IN HAITI AND COUNTLESS MORE ACROSS THE CARIbean!!! how can 1 storm cause so much destruction & chaos?? it's like mother nature is just UNLEASHING HER FURY ON US!!!! the lack of help from governments in some areas is just heartbreaking, all those people stuck without aid or shelter and meanwhile cuba is struggling with an economic crisis, more on their plate to deal with!!

man this hurricane is like nothin else , 25 people dead in Haiti already and it's still spinning out of control... Cuba's gonna be really hard hit too, I'm thinkin' thousands more displaced and economic crisis worsenin', not good for anyone . USA's gotta step up with that disaster response team tho, can't have the whole region gettin' caught in this mess alone . And what's with all these shelters? 735k people stuck without a roof over their heads? It's just heartbreaking . We gotta do more to help these Caribbean nations prepare for natural disasters, they're already vulnerable enough .

Man, this Hurricane Melissa is like a perfect storm for the Caribbean . I mean, can't we see how Haiti's lack of infrastructure is just making it worse? It's like they're playing with fire and getting burned . And now Cuba's in the same boat, struggling to cope with the economic crisis. It's like they're trying to break the system from within .

And what really gets me is that officials are saying there will be a lot of work to do? Work?! This is like a humanitarian disaster, people! We need immediate action, not just talk . The international community needs to step up and provide real support, not just a token response . It's time for the world to take notice and start taking action against these kinds of crises .

oh noooo this is devastating news! 25 lives lost already? it's just not fair my heart goes out to those affected in Haiti & Cuba - they're going through so much right now and to think hurricane melissa could worsen cuba's economic crisis, that's just a lot of pressure on the people there the international community is doing what they can to help, but it's not enough when there are millions of people affected we need more support & resources to get these communities back on their feet

man this hurricane melissa thingy is crazy i feel bad for all those ppl in cuba and jamaica they're gonna need a lot of help recoverin from this the gov't presence in petit-goâve was whack tho, shouldn't be that hard to evacuate ppl when homes are floodin outta control i guess hurricane melissa just showed us how powerful mother nature can be and cuba's economic crisis is already pretty bad, so this storm might make it worse we should really be supportin our friends in the caribbean right now

This is getting crazy! 25 people dead already from that one storm in Haiti and now it's spreading like wildfire across the Caribbean ... Cuba's economy is gonna be hit super hard, they're already struggling with power outages and fuel shortages . It's so sad to see all these people trapped under rubble, my heart goes out to them . The international community coming in to help is a good sign, but we need more resources on the ground ASAP ... it's like, why do these storms always happen during hurricane season?!

omg, can you even imagine being in those places right now? the flooding from la digue river in haiti sounds insane, homes just getting swept away by floodwaters... it's like something out of a movie . and it's not just haiti, jamaica is also taking a hit with winds of up to 185mph . i'm so worried about the people affected, especially those who are already struggling financially in cuba . the government presence is really lacking in some areas which makes it even harder for ppl to get out... anyway, gotta stay vigilant and keep an eye on this situation .

OMG this storm is literally insane!!! 25 people dead in Haiti alone??! And now it's hitting Cuba like a ton of bricks! I mean, I know they said it was the strongest one on record but WOW... 185mph winds in Jamaica? That's wild! And on top of that, 15 inches of rain in Granma province? The pics are just heartbreaking, all those homes and buildings destroyed... what can you even do?! And Cuba's economic crisis is already a mess, now they're having to deal with this too?! It's like the world is just getting more and more crazy

Ugh, this is getting out of hand . First it's Haiti, now Cuba's getting slammed too... 185mph winds in Jamaica?! That's just insane . And 15 inches of rain in Granma province? No wonder people are stuck without power or fuel . The scale of the disaster is just mind-boggling... 735,000 people in shelters? When will it end? I'm just waiting for more bad news, honestly . And the economic crisis in Cuba doesn't help either... this storm's gonna be a long and hard road to recovery .

This is just so heartbreaking. I keep thinking about those 25 people who lost their lives in Haiti. It's like, one minute they're living their lives, enjoying the sunshine, and the next... life's a nightmare. And it's not just the deaths that are the problem, it's the fact that some people were trapped under rubble for hours, days... can you even imagine?

And what's going on in Cuba is crazy too. I mean, 15 inches of rain is no joke! It's like the storm just swept through and left a trail of destruction behind. And those power blackouts and fuel shortages are just the cherry on top. I feel for everyone who's struggling to cope with this disaster.

We need to keep supporting these countries and their people during this time. We can't just sit back and watch as they're going through this. We gotta stick together, you know?

this is just devastating 25 lives lost already? that's heartbreaking 185mph winds in Jamaica? that's insane and Cuba's economic crisis worsening due to this storm? it's like one disaster after another we need more support for the affected areas ASAP shelters for 735,000 people? how are they going to cope with that? and what about the homes destroyed by floodwaters in Haiti? poor little kids left without a place to call home

Yooo, have you seen this?? Hurricane Melissa just keeps on wreaking havoc, and I'm not buying the whole 'natural disaster' thing... I mean, what's really going on here? The way it just happened to hit these countries with already-struggling economies... it's like they were waiting for an excuse to take more control. And Cuba's president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, is literally saying that this storm could worsen their economic crisis... sounds fishy to me . What if this isn't just a coincidence? What if there's some kind of global plan to disrupt the economies and create chaos? I know it sounds crazy, but think about it... 735,000 people stuck in shelters, widespread damage... it's like they're setting the stage for something big .

Ugh, can't believe how chaotic this hurricane situation is . I mean, 25 people dead in Haiti alone? That's just devastating. And Cuba's in a mess too... how are they supposed to deal with all that water and destruction? It's like the whole country is underwater . The fact that the government's response is so slow is just infuriating... can't they get their act together for once? I'm seriously worried about those 735,000 people stuck in shelters - how long are they gonna be there? And what's with the power blackouts and fuel shortages in Cuba? Like, come on! Can't we do better than this? The US is sending some aid or whatever... but it should've been like that from the start. Not waiting for something to go horribly wrong .

Ugh, 25 people dead because of that hurricane? It's crazy how bad it's getting in Cuba too... all that rain just causing so much damage & power outages. I mean, I know Haiti's been through some tough times already, but this is on another level. Those rescue teams are gonna be super busy trying to save everyone trapped under the rubble. And poor Jamaica, they're getting slammed with 185mph winds... hope everyone stays safe!

it's crazy how fast this storm has moved across the islands... 25 lives lost in Haiti already? and the floodwaters are still rising in Cuba? the pics of homes collapsing are just devastating... I'm so worried about the people of Clarendon and St. Elizabeth in Jamaica, those winds were insane! any way, it's not like we didn't know this was coming, right? summer is always hurricane season... still, can't help but feel like a big part of the Caribbean is getting left behind when it comes to disaster relief...

Man, this Hurricane Melissa is just wreaking havoc on those Caribbean islands . I'm thinking about all the people trapped under rubble in Haiti, it's like something out of a movie, you know? 25 lives lost already... it's just devastating . And Cuba's situation sounds crazy too, with massive flooding and power outages, I can only imagine how scary that must be for the locals . The government presence is pretty weak in Haiti right now, so yeah, that's not helping the situation at all . The U.S. is stepping up though, which is a good thing, hopefully they can help get things back on track soon . This storm is just a harsh reminder of how fragile our lives are, you feel me?