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Category 5 Hurricane Melissa Slams Jamaica, Heads for Cuba and Bahamas
27 Oct
Summary
- Hurricane Melissa intensified to Category 5 as it neared Jamaica
- Melissa expected to bring up to 76 cm of rain and life-threatening storm surge
- Cleanup and damage assessment likely to be severely delayed due to flooding and landslides
As of October 27, 2025, Hurricane Melissa has strengthened to a devastating Category 5 storm as it nears the island of Jamaica. The hurricane, which is centered about 205 km south-southwest of Kingston, is packing maximum sustained winds of 260 km/h and is moving west at 6 km/h.
Melissa is forecast to make landfall in Jamaica on October 28 and then cross Cuba and the Bahamas over the next two days. The hurricane is expected to bring up to 76 cm of rain to eastern Jamaica, with western Haiti potentially receiving 40 cm. Catastrophic flash flooding and numerous landslides are likely, which will severely delay cleanup and damage assessment efforts.
Authorities in Jamaica have urged residents to take the threat of Melissa seriously, warning that it is not a "safe bet." The storm has already claimed at least three lives in Haiti and one in the Dominican Republic, where another person remains missing. Melissa is expected to be the strongest hurricane to directly hit the small Caribbean nation in decades.
In addition to the heavy rainfall, Melissa is also likely to cause a life-threatening storm surge of up to 4 meters along Jamaica's southern coast. Officials have warned that the situation over the next few days will be "very, very serious" and have advised against making "foolish decisions."
