Hurricane Melissa Devastates Caribbean: 54 confirmed dead, locals call it ‘Storm of the Century’ 

The ‘monster’ Category 5 Hurricane Melissa’s deadly trails continue to unfold across the Caribbean with the confirmed death toll now reaching 54 while dozens still remain missing. The worst devastation has been recorded in Haiti where officials report that at least 40 people have died.

Other causalities have been reported in Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and Panama as the Category 5 storm left the entire communities in ruins.

According to the official page of Weather Fatalities, 40 people have reportedly died in Haiti: 25 in Petit- Goâve, 3 in Fontamara, 1 in Marigot and 11 in locations not reported, 8 in Jamaica: 2 in St Elizabeth, 2 in Black River, 1 in Galleon Beach and 1 in location not reported, 1 in St Catherine and 1 in Hanover, 4 in the Dominican Republic: 1 in the Santo Domingo and 3 in locations not reported while 2 deaths have been recorded in Panama’s Mironó district.

#BREAKING: Hurricane Melissa Fatality Total: 54+

{Numerous Remain Missing}

[Update as of 3:20 PM EDT on October 29, 2025]

➼40 in Haiti
•25 in Petit-Goâve
•3 in Fontamara
•1 in Marigot
•11 Location Not Reported

➼5+ in Jamaica (Direct)
•1 in St Elizabeth…

— Weather Fatalities (@WXFatalities) October 29, 2025

Hurricane Melissa which is being referred as the ‘storm of the century’ has caused significant destruction across the Caribbean, resulting in these fatalities with many injured and missing. Hospitals in Jamaica are without power, coastal towns are submerged, and hundreds of homes have been destroyed. Officials have declared it the worst storm in modern history, marking a humanitarian crisis across the region.

Search and rescue mission continue across Jamaica after the hurricane slammed the island with a speed of 185 mph winds and massive flooding. The hurricane made a landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday afternoon and left several communities underwater. After Jamaica, it moved to Cuba and made a landfall there, leaving destruction across Haiti, Dominican Republic and Panama on its way.

Officials report that the death toll is climbing amid the search and rescue mission of several missing regionwide.

Talking about the destruction, officials note that dozens are dead in Haiti as flash floods and landslides bury communities while in Jamaica hospitals have been destroyed, power grids are crippled and communication networks down.

A County Durham woman has also spoken of her relief and fear after finally hearing from her parents who were caught in Hurricane Melissa while on holiday in Jamaica. This shows the fear and terror which the hurricanes bring along with them.

Ian and Trudi Ferguson, from Witton Gilbert, were trapped in their seafront hotel as the storm hit, taking shelter in a bathroom when conditions worsened.

Their daughter Robyn Laverick, from Esh, said she lost contact with them for nearly 20 hours, describing the wait as “horrible, stressful and nerve-wracking.”

“When I got a message saying, ‘Hi Robyn, we’re alive,’ I instantly felt the most positive I have in days,” she said.

Trudi later sent photos and videos showing flooded hotel corridors, fallen trees and debris scattered across the resort, which she described as “like a ghost town.”

The couple had travelled to Jamaica for a romantic break before the hurricane struck, leaving widespread destruction across the island.

Robyn said while she’s hugely relieved her parents are safe, she remains worried about their living conditions and how they will get home.

As of now, the storm is still a powerful hurricane with winds up to 90 mph as it batters the Bahamas and will accelerate towards Bermuda, possibly still bringing hurricane force winds before racing off up way north.

Experts are arguing that this is no longer just a hurricane, but a humanitarian disaster and the world must not look away.