A furious force of nature roared across the Caribbean this week as Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Cuba after ravaging Jamaica, setting off alarm bells for neighbouring islands and leaving a trail of heavy destruction in its wake. Officials in Jamaica announced the country had been hit by a Category 5 storm—the strongest ever to strike the island—and declared it a disaster zone.
The storm’s arrival in eastern Cuba came early Wednesday, with the National Hurricane Center (NHC) reporting sustained winds of about 120 mph (approximately 195 km/h) at landfall near the city of Santiago de Cuba, even after the system had been downgraded to Category 3 status. The NHC warned that Melissa was bringing “damaging winds, flooding rains and dangerous storm surge” as it moved over Cuba’s eastern coast.
In Jamaica, the storm struck with full ferocity. Prime Minister Andrew Holness acknowledged the “worstaffected parishes” had suffered major damage to housing, commercial properties and critical infrastructure such as hospitals and roads. While no official death toll had been confirmed, Holness warned there were expected fatalities given the intensity of the storm and the scale of destruction.
Cuban authorities had ordered the evacuation of roughly 735,000 residents ahead of the hurricane’s arrival, as President Miguel Díaz‑Canel urged citizens to comply with the evacuation orders and prepare for “significant damage.” Government officials described the night ahead as a “very difficult” one for the island’s eastern region.
In Jamaica, Prime Minister Holness appealed to citizens to remain resilient, stating: “Your homes may have been damaged or destroyed and your communities and towns no longer look the same. I know your pain and I feel your loss. We are mobilising quickly to start the relief and recovery efforts and we will be there with you every step of the way.”
The dual impact of the storm — first in Jamaica then in Cuba — underscores the heightened threat posed by rapidly intensifying hurricanes in the Caribbean zone. Meteorologists say the region’s warm sea surface temperatures help fuel such storms, and the damage from Melissa will add to calls for improved early-warning systems and evacuation infrastructure.
Beyond the immediate destruction, there could be longer-term ramifications for the affected countries. Jamaica’s economy is heavily dependent on tourism, port operations and agriculture — all sectors vulnerable to disruption when infrastructure is battered by storms and when communities must rebuild. Cuba likewise faces the task of managing large-scale evacuations and restoring services in the eastern provinces, which are less resilient than the island-nation’s central and western areas.
As Melissa continues to track across Caribbean waters, emergency officials in neighbouring islands remain on high alert. Storm surges, flash flooding and powerful winds remain major risks, particularly in low-lying coastal areas and communities with older or weaker buildings.
For now, the focus shifts swiftly from impact to recovery: deploying relief workers, restoring power and communications, assessing the damage, and helping thousands of displaced residents return to a sense of normalcy. Jamaica and Cuba face a long and arduous rebuilding process — one made all the more urgent by the growing frequency of extreme weather events in the region.
