Hurricane Melissa bears down on Jamaica as its strongest storm in
recorded history
[October 28, 2025]
By JOHN MYERS JR. and DÁNICA COTO
KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — Hurricane Melissa was set to pummel Jamaica on
Tuesday as a catastrophic Category 5 storm, the strongest to lash the
island since recordkeeping began 174 years ago.
The storm was expected to make landfall early Tuesday and slice
diagonally across the island, entering near St. Elizabeth parish in the
south and exiting around St. Ann parish in the north, forecasters said.
Hours before the storm, the government said it had done all it could to
prepare as it warned of catastrophic damage.
“There is no infrastructure in the region that can withstand a Category
5,” Prime Minister Andrew Holness said. “The question now is the speed
of recovery. That’s the challenge.”
Landslides, fallen trees and numerous power outages were reported ahead
of the storm, with officials in Jamaica cautioning that the cleanup and
damage assessment would be slow.
A life-threatening storm surge of up to 13 feet (4 meters) is expected
across southern Jamaica, with officials concerned about the impact on
some hospitals along the coastline. Health Minister Christopher Tufton
said some patients were relocated from the ground floor to the second
floor, "and (we) hope that will suffice for any surge that will take
place.”
The storm already was blamed for seven deaths in the Caribbean,
including three in Jamaica, three in Haiti and one in the Dominican
Republic, where another person remains missing.
Jamaica braces for catastrophic damage
Melissa was centered about 150 miles (240 kilometers) southwest of
Kingston and about 330 miles (530 kilometers) southwest of Guantánamo,
Cuba. The system had maximum sustained winds of 175 mph (280 kph) and
was moving north-northeast at 2 mph (4 kph), according to the U.S.
National Hurricane Center in Miami.
“We will get through it together,” said Evan Thompson, principal
director at Jamaica’s meteorological service.
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.
“Many have never experienced anything like this before, and the
uncertainty is frightening,” he said. “There is profound fear of losing
homes and livelihoods, of injury, and of displacement.”
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A man walks along the coastline ahead of the forecasted arrival of
Hurricane Melissa in Old Harbour, Jamaica, Monday, Oct. 27, 2025.
(AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
Matthew Samuda, Jamaica’s water and environment minister, said he
had more than 50 generators available to deploy after the storm, but
warned people to set aside clean water and use it sparingly.
“Every drop will count,” he said.
Melissa takes aim at Cuba
Melissa also was expected to make landfall in eastern Cuba late
Tuesday as a powerful hurricane.
A hurricane warning was in effect for Granma, Santiago de Cuba,
Guantánamo and Holguin provinces, while a tropical storm warning was
in effect for Las Tunas. Up to 20 inches (51 centimeters) of rain
were forecast for parts of Cuba, along with a significant storm
surge along the coast.
Cuban officials said Monday that they were evacuating more than
600,000 people from the region, including Santiago, the island’s
second-largest city.
Melissa also has drenched the southern regions of Haiti and the
Dominican Republic, with a tropical storm warning still in effect
for Haiti.
The hurricane was forecast to turn northeast after Cuba and strike
the southeast Bahamas by Wednesday evening.
A hurricane warning was in effect for the southeastern and central
Bahamas, and a tropical storm warning was issued for the Turks and
Caicos Islands.
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Coto reported from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
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