Jamaica braces for Hurricane Melissa, the world’s strongest storm of 2025

International

JAMAICA is on high alert as Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 system with sustained winds reaching 175 mph (282 km/h), bears down on the island — possibly becoming the strongest storm ever to hit the Caribbean island nation

Meteorologists have warned of “catastrophic and life-threatening” conditions once the hurricane makes landfall early Tuesday.

In a report by BBC, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) stated that Melissa is currently about 140 miles (240 km) southwest of Kingston, moving slowly at 2 mph (4 km/h).

Its intensity and sluggish pace are expected to result in prolonged rainfall, severe flooding, and destructive winds lasting for several days.

The NHC said parts of Jamaica could see up to 40 inches (100 cm) of rain, increasing the risk of landslides in mountainous areas.

“Total structural failure is likely” within the hurricane’s eyewall, the agency warned, adding that wind speeds in higher elevations could be up to 30% stronger.

At least three people have died in Jamaica due to storm-related incidents, while four other deaths were reported in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

Hundreds of homes in those countries have already been flooded as Melissa’s outer bands brought torrential rain.

Jamaican Education Minister Dana Morris Dixon warned that Melissa could bring devastation “the likes of which we have never seen.”

She said the government had activated 881 emergency shelters across the island and ordered evacuations in flood-prone communities.

“We’ve been having rain all of October,” Dixon said. “The ground is already saturated. Extensive flooding and landslides are expected in the mountainous areas.”

Prime Minister Andrew Holness, in a televised address, urged citizens to take the warnings seriously. “Every Jamaican must prepare and comply with evacuation orders,” he said. “There is no infrastructure within this region that could withstand a Category 5 storm.” Holness later posted on X, saying, “We will weather this storm and rebuild stronger.”

After battering Jamaica, Melissa is forecast to move toward eastern Cuba and the Bahamas later this week, still as a major hurricane.(Xienderlyn Trinidad, USJ-R Comm Intern)