Hurricane Melissa Batters Cuba After Record-Breaking Jamaica Landfall

Hurricane Melissa made landfall in eastern Cuba early today as a Category 3 storm, following a devastating passage through Jamaica where it struck as a record-breaking Category 5 hurricane, prompting widespread evacuations and leaving hundreds of thousands without power.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel reported on X that authorities had evacuated more than 735,000 people as forecasters warned of catastrophic damage in Santiago de Cuba and surrounding areas. The storm is expected to cross the island throughout the day and move into the Bahamas later. In Jamaica, the hurricane caused extensive damage, including to four hospitals, and left over half a million customers without electricity. This storm highlights the increasing vulnerability of Caribbean nations to extreme weather events.

Melissa’s arrival in Jamaica marked the strongest hurricane to hit the island in 174 years of recordkeeping, with sustained winds reaching 185 mph (295 kph) and a central pressure of 892 millibars – tying records set by the 1935 Labor Day hurricane in Florida and Hurricane Dorian in 2019. The U.S. National Hurricane Center previously warned of “extremely dangerous” conditions, urging residents to shelter in place. Scientists at Colorado State University and the University of Miami confirmed the record-tying measurements.

The National Hurricane Center also warned of potential catastrophic flash flooding and landslides in Cuba and Hispaniola, with up to 20 inches (51 centimeters) of rain forecast for parts of eastern Cuba. Rapid intensification of the storm, linked to unusually warm ocean temperatures, is a growing concern as NOAA explains, climate change fuels more powerful and quickly strengthening hurricanes. Officials are preparing for a significant distribution effort of essential supplies as the storm moves away.