Hurricane Melissa makes landfall in eastern Cuba, leaves trail of destruction in Caribbean

Melissa was expected to sweep across eastern Cuba through the morning before moving into the Bahamas later Wednesday. The National Hurricane Centre warned that heavy rainfall could trigger life-threatening flooding and landslides. A hurricane watch was also issued for Bermuda.

Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica with sustained winds of 185 mph (295 kph), the National Hurricane Centre said. The storm was expected to produce a surge of up to 12 feet (3.6 meters) and drop as much as 20 inches (51 centimeters) of rain over parts of eastern Cuba. “Numerous landslides are likely in those areas,” said Michael Brennan, director of the U.S. National Hurricane Centre in Miami.

The hurricane’s impact is expected to deepen Cuba’s ongoing economic crisis, which has already led to widespread power outages, fuel shortages, and food scarcity.

The storm damaged four hospitals and left one without power, forcing the evacuation of 75 patients, McKenzie said. More than half a million customers were without electricity as of late Tuesday, with officials reporting widespread flooding, fallen trees, and downed power lines across the island.

The government said it aims to reopen all of Jamaica’s airports by Thursday to speed up the delivery of emergency aid. Hurricane Melissa has been blamed for seven deaths across the Caribbean — three in Jamaica, three in Haiti, and one in the Dominican Republic — while another person remains missing.

–With inputs from AP

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