Though Melissa did not directly hit Haiti, the Caribbean's most populous nation, the storm battered the island with days of rain. On Wednesday, authorities reported at least 25 deaths, largely due to floods in Petit-Goâve, a coastal town about 40 miles west of the capital, where a river burst its banks.

Hurricane Melissa brought devastation and death to the Caribbean as it tore through the region as one of the most powerful Atlantic storms in more than 150 years.

Colin Bogle, a Mercy Corps advisor based near Kingston, said most families are sheltering in place despite the government ordering evacuations in flood-prone communities.