Hurricane Melissa has caused extreme destruction and a rising death total across the Caribbean as the storm moves towards the Bahamas on Oct. 29. Relief efforts are ongoing.
(There is a live cam of the storm below.)
Hurricane Melissa, as of 6 p.m. on Oct. 29, caused 23 deaths, 17 injured and 13 missing in Haiti as the storm devasted the island with near 200 mph winds and dangerous river levels from torrential rain. Four people in Jamaica died near St. Elizabeth Parish and another reported dead in the Dominican Republic. Total death tolls are too early to calculate, officials said.
The hurricane also left a massive path of destruction. Public officials called the damage āunprecedented devastationā and other residents told news outlets the hurricane was something never seen before. Hundreds of homes were destroyed across the Caribbean. About 735,000 people remained in shelters in Cuba. Officials said 77% of Jamaica is without power as of the evening of Oct. 29. Ā More than 25,000 people were packed into shelters that same day.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)Ā called the hurricane a Category 5 storm, the most powerful and destructive type of hurricane on Oct. 28.
On Oct. 29 evening, Melissa is moving past Haiti, Jamaica and Cuba and into the Bahamas. The storm was labeled as Category 2 on Wednesday, but experts warn it could grow worse overnight. Over a thousand have already evacuated the Bahamas because of the hurricane.
Live cam of Hurricane Melissa
Relief efforts and where to donate to Hurricane Melissa victims
Those anywhere in the country, including New Jersey, can donate to relief efforts that will go towards the victims of the storm. Organizations such as World Food Program USA, The Salvation Army and Project Hope are collecting donations that will go towards those relief efforts.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Hurricane Melissa slams Caribbean, track with live camera
