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October 31, 2025

Death Toll from Hurricane Melissa Rises to 49
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The death toll from Hurricane Melissa has risen to 49. On Thursday,
Jamaica's Prime Minister Andrew Holness shared images of the hardest-hit
areas of the island, showing homes lying in ruin amid twisted corrugated
metal, dangling power lines, flooded neighborhoods and streets covered
in mud. Holness says the southern beach town of Black River was almost
"totally destroyed." At least 19 deaths were recorded across Jamaica.
Meanwhile, Haiti reported 30 deaths due to days of torrential rains from
Melissa. Twenty others remain missing. On Thursday, Venezuela said it
was sending aid to Jamaica and Cuba. Meanwhile, officials in Havana said
they were open to receiving disaster assistance from the U.S.
government. More than 730,000 Cubans evacuated ahead of the storm; many
returned to scenes of destruction and an uncertain future.

Yanisleidy Escalona: "Life before the cyclone was already difficult
because we don't have resources. Here we're surviving however we can,
with a lot of fear about what's to come, because for today at least we
have food, but tomorrow we don't even know what we're going to eat."



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