Communities in Hurricane-Ravaged Jamaica Still Cut Off as Death Toll Climbs

The death toll in Jamaica from Hurricane Melissa rose to 28 on Saturday, even as the authorities and humanitarian workers acknowledged that they had yet to reach dozens of communities that were hardest hit by the devastating storm. The Jamaican government said on Saturday night that nine more deaths had been identified since the previous tally of 19. Additional reports of possible fatalities are still being verified, a government statement said. Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday as a Category 5 storm, one of the worst in the country’s history. At least another 30 people were killed in Haiti, which was not directly hit by the storm but experienced severe flooding.