By ARIEL FERNÁNDEZ, ANDREA RODRÍGUEZ and JOHN MYERS JR. Associated Press
Communities across the northern Caribbean are dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa. In Jamaica, emergency relief efforts are underway as residents clear roads and assess damage. The storm has left many without homes, power or communication. Authorities have confirmed at least four deaths, and thousands remain in shelters. In Cuba, heavy equipment is clearing roads and the military is assisting isolated communities. No deaths have been reported there but significant damage has occurred. In Haiti, dozens were dead or missing after catastrophic flooding. The storm tied records for Atlantic hurricanes making landfall when it hit Jamaica.
By ARIEL FERNÁNDEZ, ANDREA RODRÍGUEZ, JOHN MYERS JR. and EVENS SANON Associated Press
Hurricane Melissa has left a trail of destruction across Cuba, Haiti and Jamaica. The storm made landfall Tuesday in Jamaica as a Category 5 hurricane, with winds reaching 185 miles per hour. Officials say at least 23 people have died across Haiti. In Cuba, officials report collapsed houses and blocked roads, with 735,000 people in shelters. Jamaica faces widespread power outages and communication blackouts. The U.S. is sending rescue teams to assist. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel warns of significant damage, urging people not to underestimate the storm's power.
By JOHN MYERS JR. and DÁNICA COTO Associated Press
Updated
Hurricane Melissa has hit southwestern Jamaica as a catastrophic Category 5 storm, causing heavy flooding and wind damage. Melissa made landfall Tuesday in southwestern Jamaica with maximum sustained winds of 185 mph. Officials warned of devastating damage and urged residents to seek shelter as the hurricane crossed the island. Melissa's winds tied records for the strongest Atlantic storm on landfall. The storm is expected to move toward Cuba, where authorities prepared for evacuations. The hurricane has already caused seven deaths in the Caribbean. Relief preparations are underway, with supplies and emergency services ready to assist.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Tropical Storm Jerry has formed in the Atlantic Ocean on a path toward the Caribbean. Jerry has maximum sustained winds of 45 mph Tuesday. It was expected to strengthen into a hurricane in the coming days. Meanwhile, Hurricane Priscilla could become a major hurricane off the Pacific coast of Mexico. Its top winds were at 110 mph early Tuesday, just shy of Category 3 major hurricane strength. A tropical storm watch is in place for Baja California Sur. The government on Monday night canceled classes and set up shelters in Los Cabos as a precaution.
Hurricane Erin is pelting parts of the Caribbean and is forecast to create dangerous surf and rip currents along the U.S. East Coast this week. Forecasters are confident that Erin will turn northeast and away from the eastern U.S. But the National Hurricane Center in Miami says Erin is still expected to churn up dangerous waves and rip currents and could bring tropical force winds to North Carolina's Outer Banks. Evacuations are being ordered on a few islands along the Outer Banks even though the storm is unlikely to make direct landfall. The storm intensified again to a Category 4 storm with 140 mph winds Monday.
By FABIOLA SÁNCHEZ and LUIS ALBERTO CRUZ Associated Press
Authorities in southern Mexico were still assessing damage and watching rising rivers as rain from the remnants of Hurricane Erick doused the region. Authorities reported landslides, blocked highways, downed power lines and some flooding. At least one death was confirmed late Thursday, a 1-year-old boy who drowned in a swollen river. Acapulco residents and remaining tourists emerged to walk outside or visit the few open businesses as the remnants of Hurricane Erick scraped by just inland of the resort.
By LUIS ALBERTO CRUZ and FABIOLA SÁNCHEZ Associated Press
Hurricane Erick has made landfall in the western part of Oaxaca state in Mexico. Earlier, forecasters upgraded Erick to an "extremely dangerous" Category 4 hurricane before lowering it to a Category 3. Early Thursday, the hurricane's center was located about 20 miles east of Punta Maldonado. Its maximum sustained winds were clocked at 125 mph. It was moving northwest at 9 mph.
Florida work crews are hustling to remove wreckage from one hurricane ahead of another. Meanwhile, thousands of people fearing a once-in-century direct hit from Hurricane Milton are streaming out of the populous Tampa Bay region to seek safety inland. Though slightly weakened, Milton is still a powerful Category 4 storm. It was expected to plow ashore late Wednesday or early Thursday and remain fairly strong as it crosses Florida. The system could bring towering storm surges and the power to turn debris from Hurricane Helene into dangerous projectiles.
By HAVEN DALEY and MIKE SCHNEIDER Associated Press
Milton strengthened rapidly into a Category 5 hurricane on a path toward Florida. The system is threatening the densely populated Tampa area with a potential direct hit and menacing the same stretch of coastline that was battered by Hurricane Helene less than two weeks ago. The center of the storm could come ashore Wednesday in the Tampa Bay region, which has not endured a head-on hit by a hurricane in more than a century. Scientists expect the system to weaken slightly before landfall, though it is still forecast to hit as a Category 3 hurricane or higher.
