Hurricane Melissa appears headed for open sea after killing dozens of people across at least four countries and leaving countless others homeless amid its destruction. The personal and financial costs from the storm could take months to calculate. It will go down as one of the strongest hurricanes to emerge from the Atlantic Ocean. What is known so far is that at least 44 people in Haiti, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, and Panama died from the storm. The storm's powerful winds and flooding swept away whole neighborhoods. It destroyed roads and bridges. And it cut power for hundreds of thousands of people. Haiti suffered the highest confirmed death toll from the storm so far. At least 28 people are dead and 18 missing, officials said. Most of them were killed in the flooding along the La Digue River. The flood caused many homes to collapse, trapping people in the debris. The hurricane first struck Jamaica as a Category 5 storm. The 185 mile-per-hour winds ripped roofs off homes, toppled trees, and downed power lines. More than a half-million people were left without power. That's roughly 77% of the island. The loss of phone and internet service, as well as blocked roads, has slowed rescue efforts. It has also made it hard to assess the damage and casualties from the storm. In Cuba, rising river levels put 241 communities out of reach to disaster response teams. They are home to 140,000 people. There are unconfirmed reports of deaths in those communities. The danger is not over even though the storm has passed. Flooded ground puts these islands at risk of more flash flooding and landslides. “The aftermath is not yet finished,” former Jamaican senator Imani Duncan-Price told CNN. “We stay alert. We stay alert. And support each other.” Reflect: How do people and communities find the strength to rebuild and support one another after experiencing something devastating?
