Hurricane Melissa has carved a path of destruction through the Caribbean. The storm made landfall in Jamaica as a catastrophic Category 5 hurricane, the strongest ever recorded to hit the island.
It has since weakened to a still extremely dangerous Category 4 storm. It is now churning toward Santiago de Cuba, Cuba’s second-largest city.
The hurricane made landfall in southwestern Jamaica with sustained winds of 185 mph. The storm caused widespread, catastrophic damage across the island. Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness reported significant damage to hospitals, homes, and road infrastructure. More than 500,000 residents are without power, and entire parishes were left submerged.
Well, this is crazy. Coming off of her historically violent, 185 MPH landfall in Jamaica, Hurricane Melissa has rapidly reorganized on her way to Cuba despite being heavily disrupted by mountainous terrain. The latest NHC advisory has her back at CATEGORY 4 status with winds of… pic.twitter.com/FkBKZuwlG8
— Backpirch Weather (@BackpirchCrew) October 29, 2025While no fatalities have been confirmed, officials fear there will be a loss of life. The World Meteorological Organisation called it “the storm of the century” for Jamaica. With the storm now heading for Cuba, a massive evacuation is underway. Cuban authorities have ordered approximately 500,000 people to move to higher ground.
President Miguel Diaz-Canel warned citizens that the cyclone “will cause significant damage.” The storm is expected to lash the island with destructive winds and life-threatening storm surge. The Bahamas, next in the storm’s projected path, has also begun ordering evacuations.
Read: Catastrophic Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 Storm, Takes Aim at Jamaica
The disaster extends beyond Jamaica and Cuba. Haiti and the Dominican Republic have already experienced days of torrential rain from the storm’s outer bands, leading to at least four deaths.
Scientists warn that climate change is intensifying storms faster. This has led to calls from Caribbean leaders for greater support from heavy-polluting nations to address the escalating climate crisis.
