Hurricane Melissa’s death toll climbs to 44, storm churns north

Hurricane Melissa’s confirmed death toll climbed to 44 on Thursday, official reports say, after wreaking destruction across much of the northern Caribbean and picking up speed as it headed toward Bermuda.

Jamaica’s information minister tells Reuters at least 19 deaths had been confirmed, but authorities were continuing search and rescue efforts. The storm has left hundreds of thousands without power, ripped roofs of buildings and scattered fields with rubble.

Jamaica’s military has called on reserve personnel to report for duty to help with relief and rescue operations.

Melissa made landfall in southwestern Jamaica on Tuesday as a powerful Category 5 hurricane, the Caribbean nation’s strongest-ever storm to directly hit its shores, and the first major hurricane to do so since 1988.

Windspeeds were well above the minimum level for the strongest hurricane classification. Forecasters at AccuWeather said it tied in second place for strongest-ever Atlantic hurricane on record in terms of windspeed when in struck land.

The forecaster estimated $48 billion to $52 billion in damage and economic loss across the western Caribbean.