According to meteorologists, the storm made landfall near the town of New Hope in the southwest and is expected to exit into the sea near Saint Ann Parish on the north coast, crossing the island diagonally before heading toward Cuba.
Even before Hurricane Melissa reached land, Jamaica experienced landslides, fallen trees, and widespread power outages. Authorities warned that assessing the damage and restoring infrastructure would take considerable time.
“There is no infrastructure in the region capable of withstanding a Category 5 hurricane,” Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness said on Monday. “The question now is how quickly we can recover. That’s the main challenge.”
Jamaica. October 28, 2025.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center warned that Melissa could trigger catastrophic flash floods and numerous landslides. Jamaica’s southern coast is expected to experience a storm surge of up to four meters, along with severe wind damage in the cyclone’s central zone.
Other Caribbean nations are also at risk. Forecasts indicate that the hurricane will reach eastern Cuba on Tuesday evening or overnight into Wednesday, where hundreds of thousands of people are already preparing to evacuate. Some areas could receive up to 50 centimeters of rainfall, and a strong coastal surge is expected. By Wednesday evening, Melissa is projected to approach the southeastern Bahamas.
Climatologists note that ocean warming driven by climate change helped double Hurricane Melissa’s wind speed in less than 24 hours. It is the fourth instance of such rapid intensification in the Atlantic this year.
Jamaica. October 28, 2025.
Meanwhile, the streets of Cuba’s second-largest city have emptied as residents of Santiago de Cuba rush to prepare for the storm’s impact. State television shows people herding animals and protecting crops in the surrounding rural areas.
“May God have mercy on us, because it’s coming with tremendous force,” said city resident Daimon Mendoza. “Anything could happen.”
In recent days, municipal workers have been trimming trees, clearing drains, and removing debris in an effort to minimize the hurricane’s impact.