Hurricane Melissa leaves 49 dead in Caribbean, churns north

The front page of Thursday's Jamaica Observer newspaper read: "DEVASTATION."

Residents stand on the wreckage of a house destroyed by Hurricane Melissa in Santa Cruz, Jamaica, Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

Hurricane Melissa's confirmed death toll climbed to 49 on Thursday, according to official reports, after wreaking destruction across much of the northern Caribbean and picking up speed as it headed past Bermuda in the North Atlantic.

Authorities in Haiti, which was not directly hit but nevertheless suffered days of torrential rains from the slow-moving storm, reported at least 30 deaths and 20 more missing.