A powerful and devastating storm system, Hurricane Melissa, has carved a path of destruction across the Caribbean, beginning with a direct hit on Jamaica and then pushing into Haiti and Cuba. First making landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday night as a Category 5 storm—with winds reaching up to 185 mph—Melissa is now considered the strongest storm ever to strike the island nation.
In Jamaica’s western region, including the town of Black River, about 90 percent of homes were either destroyed completely or stripped of their roofs. The ferocity of the storm knocked out power to roughly three-quarters of the country. At least 19 people have been reported dead so far, though those figures are expected to rise as assessments continue.
After passing over Jamaica, Melissa weakened slightly to a Category 3 storm but still produced sustained winds of up to 120 mph and heavy rainfall when it struck Cuba. Meanwhile, in Haiti, the storm triggered deadly flash floods and landslides that are believed to have claimed at least 30 lives.
As the storm moves northeast toward Bermuda and the Bahamas, meteorologists expect it to transition into a post-tropical system while continuing to churn across the Atlantic.
Relief operations in Jamaica have already encountered major obstacles. Even after the storm had passed, thunderstorms hampered cleanup efforts and delayed emergency aid delivery. One of the most affected areas, Black River, is facing a near-total collapse of housing infrastructure, and with losses of power and connectivity widespread, emergency responders are working in extremely difficult conditions.
In Haiti, the terrain and fragile infrastructure worsened the impact. The combination of heavy rainfall, steep slopes and deforested regions means the risk of further landslides remains high, complicating rescue efforts and making access to some remote communities nearly impossible.
While the storm’s immediate impact is already severe, the longer-term implications are equally concerning. The destruction of homes and livelihoods, widespread power outages, and massive damage to infrastructure mean that recovery will be prolonged and costly. Jamaica, Cuba and Haiti now face extensive rebuilding tasks, including restoration of housing, roads, power networks and flood-mitigation systems.
This disaster also underscores the broader vulnerability of Caribbean nations to extreme weather events, particularly as climate change fuels more intense storms. A Category 5 strike on Jamaica with 185 mph winds is unprecedented for the island, signaling a new threshold in storm intensity for the region.
For now, the priority remains immediate response: ensuring that survivors have access to shelter, food, clean water and medical aid, while also beginning the slow process of assessing damage and restoring basic services. As Melissa exits the Caribbean, attention will turn to its next phase in the Atlantic, even as the impacted nations deal with the aftermath of its wrath.
