Hurricane Melissa death toll climbs to 46 across Caribbean as recovery begins

Hurricane Melissa's death toll climbed to 46 on Friday, days after the record-breaking storm barreled through the Caribbean and left behind a wake of destruction

Hurricane Melissa's death toll climbed to 46 on Friday, days after the record-breaking storm barreled through the Caribbean and left behind a wake of destruction.

The death toll in Jamaica rose to 19 by Friday morning, Dana Morris Dixon, the country's minister for education, skills, youth and information, said at a Friday press conference.

Dixon suggested that the death count will grow, saying, "We do expect that number will change today."

"Every single life that is lost is a huge tragedy, and so I know that these numbers are distressing, but know that we're doing our best to retrieve the bodies and provide support to those families that need it," she said.

Beyond Jamaica, the storm killed 26 people in Haiti and one person died in the Dominican Republic, according to officials.