Hurricane Melissa has left dozens dead and widespread devastation across Cuba, Haiti, and Jamaica, where shattered homes, downed power lines, and flooded streets painted a grim picture Wednesday of one of the most powerful Atlantic storms in recent history.

The storm — which made landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday as a catastrophic Category 5 hurricane with winds reaching 185 mph (295 kph) — tore through the Caribbean before weakening slightly as it struck Cuba’s eastern coast. Even countries outside its direct path, including Haiti, suffered deadly flooding and infrastructure collapse.

In Jamaica, entire communities were left unrecognizable. Streets in St. Elizabeth parish turned to rivers of mud after a massive landslide blocked main roads in the town of Santa Cruz. Residents waded through waist-deep water, sweeping floodwater from their homes and salvaging what they could from ruined furniture.

“I’ve never seen anything like this before in all my years living here,” said Jennifer Small, a lifelong resident of Santa Cruz.

The storm’s winds ripped off part of the roof at a local high school that had been designated as a public shelter, forcing evacuees to relocate amid pounding rain.

By Wednesday, more than 25,000 people were packed into government-run shelters across the island, officials said. Education Minister Dana Morris Dixon reported that 77% of Jamaica remained without electricity, and communications were severely disrupted.

“We’re dealing with a total communication blackout in several areas,” said Richard Thompson, acting director general of Jamaica’s Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management, in an interview with the Nationwide News Network.

In Haiti, at least 25 people were confirmed dead in the southern coastal town of Petit-Goâve, where relentless rainfall caused the La Digue River to burst its banks.
Mayor Jean Bertrand Subrème told the Associated Press that dozens of homes collapsed, leaving many residents trapped under debris.

“People are still missing, and rescue teams can’t reach them because of the flooding,” Subrème said, adding that only one official from the national Civil Protection Agency was present in the town.

Local residents were left to lead makeshift rescue efforts, using wooden boats and ropes to reach those stranded on rooftops.

In Cuba, the government reported widespread destruction in the southwestern and northwestern provinces, where high winds and flooding destroyed homes, blocked mountain roads, and tore roofs from buildings.

Authorities said roughly 735,000 people remained in emergency shelters as of Wednesday.

“That was hell — all night long, it was terrible,” said Reinaldo Charon, a resident of Santiago de Cuba, who braved intermittent rain under a plastic sheet as he assessed the damage to his neighborhood.

Melissa’s path of destruction marks one of the deadliest and most destructive hurricanes in recent years for the Caribbean. The storm’s combination of extreme winds, torrential rainfall, and landslides has crippled critical infrastructure and left millions without power or shelter.

As emergency crews continue rescue operations across the region, officials warn that rising floodwaters and damaged road networks could hamper relief efforts for days to come.

“This storm may be gone,” said one Jamaican official, “but its impact will be felt for a long time.”