Hurricane Melissa Makes Landfall in Cuba as a Powerful Category 3 Storm

Hurricane Melissa made landfall near Chivirico, Cuba early Wednesday as a powerful Category 3 storm after slamming Jamaica as one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record.

About 735,000 people remained in shelters in eastern Cuba, where the storm made landfall as a Category 3, authorities told the Associated Press.

But the hurricane, now downgraded to a Category 2 but growing in size, has begun impacting the southeastern Bahamas as of Wednesday afternoon.

Melissa had winds of 120 mph and started to weaken after making its second landfall in eastern Cuba, but forecasters tell FOX Weather that the hurricane’s force will continue as it spins across the island.

FILE-Residents ride motorcycles through flooded areas before Hurricane Melissa hits the city of Santiago de Cuba, Cuba on October 28, 2025. (Photo by YAMIL LAGE/AFP via Getty Images)

The hurricane is projected to make its way Thursday near or to the west of Bermuda, where a hurricane watch is in effect.

Here’s the latest on Hurricane Melissa making landfall in Cuba:

Collapsed Walls in Cuba Homes

1:25 p.m. ET: Residents in the Cuban province of Santiago de Cuba began clearing debris around the collapsed walls of their homes on Wednesday after Hurricane Melissa made landfall in the region hours earlier.

Hurricane Melissa ‘Growing in Size’

1:15 p.m. ET: Michael Brennan, director of the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami, told the Associated Press that Hurricane Melissa began affecting the southeastern Bahamas on Wednesday.

“The storm is growing in size,” he said, noting that tropical storm force winds now extend almost 200 miles (322 kilometers) from the center.

Most of Jamaica Without Power

11:30 a.m. ET: On Wednesday, Dana Morris Dixon, Jamaica’s education minister, said that 77% of the island was without power, according to the Associated Press.

“That is a large number,” Dixon said, adding that the water systems, however, were not greatly affected.

Dixon said Prime Minister Andrew Holness will fly over the most impacted areas, including St. Elizabeth, Manchester, West Moreland and St. James, where rescue crews were still attempting to access areas and determine the damage.

Dept. of State Deploying Response Team to Aid Recovery Efforts

11 a.m. ET: In a social media post on Wednesday, the Department of State said it would deploy a regional Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) and activated U.S.-based Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) teams to help with recovery efforts.

“These teams are working with affected countries and local communities to determine what assistance is needed and with interagency, international and U.S. military partners to coordinate emergency response efforts,” officials said in a post on X.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday on X, noting that government officials were coordinating with leadership in Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas.

“Our prayers are with the people of the Caribbean,” Rubio wrote.

Roughly 25 Killed in Haiti

10:55 a.m. ET: Jean Bertrand Subrème, mayor of the southern Haitian coastal town of Petit-Goâve, told The Associated Press that 25 people died after La Digue river burst its banks and flooded nearby homes.

Dozens of homes collapsed and people are trapped under the rubble, Subrème said, adding: “I am overwhelmed by the situation.”

Officials Say ‘Several Areas Are Under Water’

10:30 a.m. ET: Cuban authorities told the Associated Press that about 735,000 people are still in shelters after being evacuated from their homes in the island’s eastern region.

Yanetsy Terry Gutiérrez, governor of Granma province told the AP on Wednesday morning that “several areas of the province are underwater, with the most significant impact in the municipal capital of Jiguaní.”

Officials also reported collapsed houses, blocked mountain roads and roofs blown off. The province’s reservoirs continue to overflow after being filled by heavy rains.

Hurricane Melissa Moves Across Cuba as a Category 3 Storm

8:45 a.m. ET: Hurricane Melissa was grinding across Cuba on Wednesday as a Category 3 as thousands of people in Cuba were evacuated to shelters.

The Associated Press reported that a hurricane warning was in effect for Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo, Holguin and Las Tunas provinces as well as the southeastern and central Bahamas.

RELATED: Watch Live: Hurricane Melissa slams into Jamaica with 185-mph winds

Citing the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami, the AP noted that Melissa had winds of 105 mph and was moving north-northeast at 14 mph. The hurricane was centered 45 miles northwest of Guantánamo, Cuba, and 205 miles south of the central Bahamas.

NHC officials warned that preparations for the storm in the Bahamas “should be rushed to completion.”

Hurricane Melissa’s Path

Big picture view:

According to FOX Weather, Melissa will travel into the Atlantic and impact the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos Islands and eventually Bermuda. Residents in Jamaica are starting their cleanup and recovery efforts in the wake of the disaster.

Hurricane Melissa Slams Jamaica

Dig deeper:

The National Hurricane Center warned residents of Cuba to remain sheltered and that preparations for the storm in the Bahamas need to be completed quickly.

Before slamming into Cuba on Wednesday, millions of people across Jamaica had to endure the catastrophic impacts from Hurricane Melissa as it approached the southwestern coast of the island.

Hurricane Melissa made landfall near New Hope, Jamaica, around 1 p.m. Tuesday as a massive Category 5 hurricane with winds of 185 mph.

Officials in Jamaica were evaluating the damage. Over half a million people were without power late Tuesday as officials reported that most of the island had downed trees, power lines and extensive flooding.

According to the Associated Press, Melissa has been blamed for seven deaths in the Caribbean, including three in Jamaica, three in Haiti and one in the Dominican Republic, where another person remains missing.

FOX Weather reported that Melissa is now the third-strongest Atlantic hurricane on record, and is tied for the strongest landfalling hurricane on record.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Hurricane Melissa has caused significant damage and loss of life in the Caribbean, particularly in Jamaica and Cuba. The storm’s powerful winds and heavy rainfall have left thousands of people without power, and many more are still in shelters. As the storm continues to move north, residents in the Bahamas and Bermuda are bracing for impact. The international community