Hurricane death toll rises to 43 in Haiti as aid pours in across the northern Caribbean

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – Haiti’s government said Tuesday that the death toll from Hurricane Melissa rose to 43, with 13 others still missing.

Crews were still trying to reach people in the country’s southwest region, where landslides and floodwaters devastated more than 30 communities.

At least 25 deaths occurred in the southwestern coastal town of Petit-Goâve, one of the hardest hit communities.

The Category 5 storm, one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record , flooded nearly 12,000 homes and destroyed nearly 200 others after its outer bands battered Haiti last week. Numerous roads remain inaccessible.

The government warned there’s a drinking water shortage in several communities, and that it will soon distribute seeds and tools to farmers facing major agricultural losses.