Hurricane Melissa has carved a path of destruction through the Caribbean, becoming the strongest storm ever to hit Jamaica and now barreling toward Cuba. Making landfall on 28 October 2025 near New Hope in southwestern Jamaica, Melissa brought wind speeds reaching up to 185 mph (295 km/h), making it a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale—the highest classification for tropical cyclones.
This catastrophic event has forced massive evacuations, caused widespread power outages, and exposed the region’s vulnerability to intensifying climate events. Jamaica, despite its history with hurricanes, has never before been hit directly by a Category 4 or 5 storm, making Hurricane Melissa a historic and deeply disruptive disaster.
Hurricane Melissa
- Name: Hurricane Melissa
- Formation Date: 20 October 2025
- Dissipation (expected): Early November 2025
- Peak Intensity: Category 5, with winds of 185 mph (295 km/h)
- Landfall in Jamaica: 28 October 2025, near New Hope, St. Elizabeth parish
- Central Pressure: Estimated around 915 hPa at peak intensity
- Size: Broad wind field affecting over 1,500 km of ocean surface
- Storm Surge Potential: Up to 4 meters along low-lying coastal areas
- Movement: Initially west-northwest, later curving northeast toward eastern Cuba and the Bahamas
Devastation in Jamaica
- Melissa struck Jamaica with full force, submerging towns, damaging infrastructure, and knocking out power to more than 500,000 residents.
- In St. Elizabeth, the hardest-hit parish, entire neighborhoods were flooded and the main public hospital lost power, suffering structural damage.
- Prime Minister Andrew Holness reported damage to homes, hospitals, roads, and commercial infrastructure, with emergency services struggling to reach isolated areas. Although no storm-related deaths were officially confirmed initially, the government fears there may be casualties in cut-off regions.
- More than 15,000 Jamaicans were in temporary shelters by Tuesday (28th October, 2025) night, and many more were still stranded, reluctant to leave their homes despite evacuation orders.
Turning Toward Cuba
- After lashing Jamaica, Melissa’s intensity dropped slightly to Category 4 (145 mph/233 km/h) but still poses a severe threat to eastern Cuba, particularly Santiago de Cuba, the island’s second-largest city.
- The Cuban government has evacuated nearly 500,000 people from at-risk zones, bracing for heavy rains, landslides, and storm surge flooding.
- In the Bahamas, emergency orders were issued for evacuations in the southern islands, as the cyclone’s projected path sweeps northeastward.
Climate Context and Regional Impact
- Meteorologists and climate scientists note that Hurricane Melissa is part of a rising trend of rapidly intensifying storms, fueled by warmer ocean temperatures due to climate change.
- Caribbean nations, often bearing the brunt of global warming effects, continue to demand stronger global climate action and financial support.
- The agricultural belt of southwestern Jamaica, already battered by Hurricane Beryl in 2024, has now taken a second direct hit.
- This will likely result in food insecurity, economic strain, and prolonged recovery.