NewzVille International
At least 25 people have died in Haiti after heavy rains swelled river banks due to the Hurricane Melissa. The storm wreaks havoc across the total Caribbean.
Melissa is currently moving over the Bahamas, where life-threatening storm surges and heavy rainfall are expected overnight, with warnings extending to Turks and Caicos and Bermuda on Thursday.
In Jamaica, authorities confirmed the recovery of four bodies on Wednesday. Melissa initially struck Jamaica as a record-breaking category 5 storm before weakening to category 3 upon hitting Cuba. By late Wednesday, it had further downgraded to category 1, with maximum winds of 90 mph as it approached southeast and central Bahamas.
U.S. Disaster Assistance Response Team personnel are en route to Jamaica, the Bahamas, and the Dominican Republic, also addressing issues in neighboring Haiti. Airports are set to reopen Thursday for emergency relief flights, with damage reported as mostly superficial.
In eastern Cuba, authorities evacuated around 7,35,000 people, most of whom remain in emergency centers. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel noted extensive damage and urged residents to remain vigilant as heavy rains continue.
