Hurricane Melissa leaves 32 dead across Caribbean

Hurricane Melissa left a trail of ruin across Jamaica, Haiti and Cuba, with at least 32 deaths. The record-setting storm tore off roofs, uprooted trees and cut power to tens of thousands; Haiti reported 23 deaths, Jamaica eight, and the Dominican Republic one. Peak winds reached 298 km/h before easing to 165 km/h Thursday, the National Hurricane Center said, as the system sped through the Bahamas, where nearly 1,500 people were evacuated and warnings lifted for the central and southern islands and Turks and Caicos. Jamaica’s Mandeville was described as “flattened.” Melissa is expected to reach Bermuda later.