Hurricane Melissa live updates: At least 34 dead as ‘catastrophic’ storm continues to wreak havoc in Bahamas

Hurricane Melissa has moved towards the Bahamas after hitting eastern Cuba with devastating winds of 120mph and leaving a trail of destruction in Jamaica.

A “dangerous storm surge” is expected in the Bahamas on Wednesday night as the National Hurricane Centre warns residents to remain sheltered.

A Michigan travel agent who was vacationing in Jamaica described taking cover in a hotel closet as Hurricane Melissa made landfall on the island as a category 5 storm on Tuesday.

Amanda Tessoff, from Highland Township, said she initially was not concerned about the storm after having experienced Hurricane Beryl in Jamaica last year.

But Melissa, one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record, brought destructive winds and flooding across the island.

“You could just feel the walls vibrating, and that really scared me,” Tessoff told CBS News Detroit. “I was thinking what happens if this whole building comes tumbling down.”

Tessoff said water was dripping from the walls and seeping through air conditioning panels, adding that the room smelled of burning chemicals.

Nearly 100 guests at the resort have since been moved into one building, where they still have electricity and are being served hot meals while awaiting updates on when they can return home.

Hurricane Melissa hit Jamaica with top winds of 185mph (295kph) before weakening and moving toward Cuba and the Bahamas.

Jamaica’s prime minister Andrew Holness shared videos of devastation as he took an aerial survey of the worst-hit areas.

“The damage is great, but we are going to devote all our energy to mount a strong recovery,” he said.

Hurricane Melissa struck Jamaica at its peak as a category 5 storm, triggering landslides, ripping off roofs, flooding streets, and collapsing houses.

A landslide blocked the main roads in Santa Cruz, in Jamaica’s St Elizabeth parish, where the streets were reduced to mud pits.

Residents swept water from their homes as they tried to salvage their belongings. Powerful winds tore part of the roof off a high school being used as a public shelter.

Melissa hit Jamaica with winds of 185mph (295kph) – one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record – before weakening and moving on to Cuba. Even countries outside the storm’s direct path felt its devastating effects.

The UK is supporting Jamaica with £2.5m in emergency humanitarian funding after Hurricane Melissa, as Sir Keir Starmer described scenes from the country as “truly shocking”.

British experts are also heading to the region to help co-ordinate and deliver aid.

The King on Wednesday said he was “deeply concerned” by the destruction and described it as a reminder of the “urgent need to restore the balance and harmony of nature”.

Sir Keir told the Commons: “The scenes of destruction emerging from Jamaica are truly shocking.”

Both the Foreign Secretary and I have been in close contact with our Jamaican counterparts in recent days to offer the UK’s full support.

“I can update the House that HMS Trent and specialist rapid deployment teams are pre-positioned in the region, and we stand ready to provide humanitarian support.”

As many as 8,000 Britons are in Jamaica, and the FCDO has urged them to register their presence through the Government website to receive updates on the hurricane.

An FCDO official said: “The safety and security of British nationals is paramount.”We’re providing 24-hour consular assistance. We’re in close contact with airlines, travel operators and Abta (Association of British Travel Agents) to ensure that they’re safe and able to return to the UK as soon as possible.”

An influencer is facing backlash over her series of posts complaining about being on vacation in Jamaica as Hurricane Melissa batters the region.

The Category 5 storm made landfall Tuesday afternoon in southwestern Jamaica near New Hope with winds whipping at 185 miles per hour in what forecasters are calling an “extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation.” At least seven people have died in the Caribbean so far, including three in Jamaica, three in Haiti and one in the Dominican Republic.

Hannah Grubbs began posting TikTok videos about her trip Friday, including a since-deleted video of her and a friend walking through the airport as text across the screen read, “Us on our way to Jamaica during a hurricane.”

New satellite images have emerged to show the impact of Hurricane Melissa on Jamaica’s southern coast.

Images captured by Vantor show the dramatic transformation of Black River and a fishing village in White House, submerged and scarred by the hurricane’s fury. What were once neat clusters of houses and boats are now muddy expanses of debris and standing water.

Authorities in Jamaica say it could take weeks to fully assess the scale of the damage. The United Nations called the destruction unprecedented, as thousands remain displaced and much of the island struggles with power outages and washed-out roads.

Haiti has reported at least 25 deaths from Hurricane Melissa, even though the powerful storm did not hit the Caribbean’s most populous nation directly.

Days of rain and subsequent flooding in Petit-Goave, a coastal town 64km (40miles) west of the capital, have caused massive destruction after a river burst its banks.

At least 10 children were killed and 12 people remain missing there, Haiti’s disaster management agency said, adding that nationwide more than 1,000 homes have been flooded and nearly 12,000 people have been moved into emergency shelters.

Hurricane Melissa has left a trail of devastation across Cuba after tearing through Jamaica and Haiti as one of the most powerful Atlantic storms on record.

The storm, which made landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday as a Category 5 hurricane with winds of up to 185mph (295kph), weakened slightly before striking eastern Cuba, where it caused collapsed houses, blocked roads and widespread blackouts.

Cuban officials reported severe damage in the provinces of Santiago de Cuba and Pinar del Río, where roofs were ripped off buildings and power lines were brought down by the violent winds.

More than 735,000 people remain in shelters, according to authorities. Local media showed hospitals and schools damaged, including Santiago’s Juan Bruno Zayas Clinical Hospital, where walls crumbled and glass littered the floors.

“Life is what matters,” said Alexis Ramos, a fisherman in Santiago de Cuba who lost his home to the storm. “Repairing this costs money, a lot of money.”

President Miguel Díaz-Canel said recovery efforts would begin as soon as conditions allowed, but the hurricane is expected to further strain Cuba’s fragile economy, already reeling from food shortages, power outages, and fuel crises.

“It has been a highly complex night, with significant damage reported,” Díaz-Canel wrote on X. “I urge our people to remain vigilant, to uphold discipline, and to continue taking all necessary precautions.”

The country’s National Institute of Hydraulic Resources reported rainfall of up to 15 inches (38cms) in some areas, sparking flash floods and landslides.

Melissa, now downgraded to a Category 2 hurricane, was moving north-northeast at about 21 mph (33 kph) late Wednesday, likely to hit the Bahamas and Bermuda.

Authorities in the Bahamas have begun evacuating people from the southeastern islands ahead of Melissa’s expected arrival overnight.

Health authorities in Jamaica have urged people to donate blood to replenish the “critically low” levels of the national supply in the country.

The health ministry said Hurricane Melissa “disrupted routine blood collection drives and has slowed the movement of blood and blood products to hospitals.”

It said the shortage could affect people who need transfusions.

“We are urging all Jamaicans who are able to give blood. Your donation can save lives, especially at a time when hospitals are still in emergency mode and every unit counts,” Dr Jacquiline Bisasor-McKenzie, the chief medical officer of Health for Jamaica, said in the statement.