Caribbean, Hurricane Melissa
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Dangerous combination that made Melissa a monster hurricane
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Melissa tore through the Caribbean as one of the most powerful storms in history. By Thursday, the storm weakened as it left the Bahamas.
Hurricane Melissa left dozens dead and widespread destruction across Cuba, Jamaica and Haiti on Wednesday, and it continued on to pass through the Bahamas as a weakened storm.
Hurricane Melissa has rapidly intensified into a major Category 4 storm, producing maximum sustained wind speeds of 145 mph. If it maintains its strength, it could become the strongest hurricane to make landfall over the island since the National Hurricane Center started keeping records.
Melissa began affecting the southeastern Bahamas on Wednesday, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. Authorities in the Bahamas were evacuating dozens of people from the archipelago’s southeast corner ahead of Melissa’s arrival as a Category 1 storm.
The storm left widespread destruction and at least dozens of deaths in its path. In Chicago, people are looking for ways to help.