Hurricane Melissa, a Category-5 storm packing winds up to 250 km/h, has battered the Caribbean, leaving at least seven people dead—three in , three in Haiti, and one in the Dominican Republic. The U.S. National Hurricane Center warned of catastrophic flooding, landslides, and storm surges that have submerged coastal regions and disrupted communication networks. More than 1.5 million people have been directly affected, according to the Red Cross. Jamaica has suffered severe power and communication outages, prompting the government to launch emergency operations and an online aid portal. Cuba has begun evacuating coastal residents as Melissa approaches its shores, expected to make landfall early Wednesday. Meteorologists attribute the storm’s extreme intensity to rising sea temperatures driven by climate change, signaling a deepening humanitarian crisis for the entire Caribbean region.