SHR Media Staff – October 29 2025

KINGSTON, Jamaica — A nationwide emergency is underway after Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday as a violent Category 5 storm, marking one of the most powerful hurricanes ever to strike the Caribbean island.

According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), Melissa’s sustained winds reached up to 185 mph and the minimum central pressure recorded was approximately 892 millibars. The storm is now moving north-northeast, roughly 14 mph, with maximum sustained winds near 120 mph as it approaches eastern Cuba.

Jamaican officials say the impact has been widespread and devastating. In the parish of St. Elizabeth and other south-western regions, flooding is extensive, homes and commercial buildings have sustained structural damage, major hospitals are reported to have lost roofs or been partially evacuated, and more than 500,000 customers were without power at one point. Key roads remain blocked by debris or landslides, complicating relief efforts.

Three deaths have been reported in Jamaica during the storm preparations, while at least 13 people were injured, most of them in the regions hardest hit. A full assessment of fatalities and damage is still pending as crews struggle to reach isolated communities.

Authorities in Jamaica declared the entire island a disaster zone and activated emergency shelters and national response protocols. Airports were shut prior to landfall. Meanwhile, U.S. authorities are monitoring the situation for American citizens and assets in the region; no verified U.S. casualties have been announced at this time.

As Melissa moves toward Cuba and the southeastern Bahamas, the NHC warns of life-threatening storm surge of 4 to 7 feet above normally dry ground in the Bahamas, and rainfall totals of 10 to 20 inches (with localized higher amounts) that could trigger flash flooding and landslides.

Recovery operations in Jamaica are now beginning, although officials caution that restoration of power, water, and transport infrastructure may take days or even weeks in some areas.

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© SHR Media 2025

Sources:
Reuters – “Jamaica’s strongest-ever storm, Hurricane Melissa, turns to Cuba”
People magazine – “5 Startling Facts About Hurricane Melissa…”
Weather.com – “Hurricane Melissa Heading Toward Cuba, Bahamas Following Catastrophic Strike On Jamaica”
CBS News – “Hurricane Melissa threatens to bring catastrophic flooding, landslides to Jamaica, Haiti, Cuba”
ABC News – “Hurricane Melissa live updates: Storm strikes Cuba after tearing through Jamaica”
The Guardian – “Hurricane Melissa hits Cuba after turning Jamaica into ‘disaster area’”
National Hurricane Center Public Advisories.

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