Record-breaking Category 5 storm floods western Jamaica, leaves hundreds of thousands without power, and threatens Cuba with another night of destruction.
Hurricane Melissa, one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in the Atlantic, slammed into Jamaica on Tuesday as a Category 5 hurricane, bringing catastrophic winds, floods, and landslides that left much of the island in ruins.
By nightfall, the slow-moving system had weakened slightly to Category 4 strength as it churned toward Cuba, but the devastation in Jamaica was already immense. At least three people were reported dead, and officials said entire communities were cut off by floodwaters.
“It’s one of the worst experiences that Jamaica has ever encountered,” said Desmond McKenzie, the minister of local government. “The parish of St Elizabeth is under water, and our infrastructure has been severely compromised.”
More than 530,000 Jamaicans were without electricity and 15,000 people had sought refuge in storm shelters. In Black River, families were trapped in their homes as floodwaters rose, and rescue teams struggled to reach them through debris-clogged roads.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness declared Jamaica a disaster area, promising immediate relief efforts. “We will be with you throughout,” he said on X, formerly Twitter.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center reported sustained winds of 185 miles per hour (298 km/h) at the storm’s peak, the strongest ever recorded in Jamaica since record-keeping began in 1851. Experts warned of “total structural failure” near the storm’s center and storm surges up to 13 feet (4 meters) along the southern coast.
In Santiago de Cuba, authorities braced for impact. President Miguel Díaz-Canel urged citizens to remain in shelters, warning that “one of the most severe — or possibly the strongest — storms in Cuba’s history” was approaching. Over 500,000 Cubans were evacuated from vulnerable areas.
Meteorologists say Melissa’s explosive growth — doubling in wind speed within 24 hours — highlights the increasing power of modern hurricanes driven by climate change. “It’s a perfect storm of warm oceans and slow movement,” said Leanne Archer, a climate researcher at the University of Bristol. “Every extra degree of ocean heat adds energy to storms like this.”
Across Jamaica, residents described scenes of terror. In Portmore, Colin Bogle, a humanitarian worker, recalled waking to a loud explosion before his home went dark. “The wind was like a freight train,” he said. “Everything outside was being ripped apart.”
For many Jamaicans, Melissa will be remembered not just for its strength, but for its scale — a storm so vast that nearly every corner of the island felt its fury. As the sun set, roads remained underwater, roofs torn away, and the long road to recovery was only beginning.
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