Hurricane Melissa blamed for dozens of deaths as Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica assess damage
Hurricane Melissa left dozens dead and widespread destruction across Cuba, Jamaica and Haiti on Wednesday, knocking out power and forcing residents from their homes in inundated towns. A landslide blocked the main roads of Santa Cruz in Jamaica's St. Elizabeth parish, where the streets were reduced to mud pits. Residents swept water from homes as they tried to salvage belongings. Wind ripped off part of the roof at a high school that serves as a public shelter. "I never see anything like this before in all my years living here," resident Jennifer Small said. The extent of the damage from the deadly Category 5 hurricane was unclear Wednesday as widespread power outages and dangerous conditions persisted. At least 25 people have died across Haiti and 18 are missing, Haiti's Civil Protection Agency said in a statement, revising the death toll downward Wednesday. Twenty of those reported dead and 10 of the missing are from a southern coastal town where flooding collapsed dozens of homes. Follow link for full story