Hurricane Melissa Devastates Jamaica, Leaving Trail of Destruction and Death
A car drives through a destroyed neighborhood following the passage of Hurricane Melissa, in Black River, Jamaica on October 29, 2025. (Photo by Ricardo MAKYN / AFP) (Photo by RICARDO MAKYN/AFP via Getty Images)
ST. ELIZABETH PARISH, Jamaica –
It’s been nearly a week since Hurricane Melissa made its first catastrophic landfall in Jamaica, and the death toll is continuing to rise as crews continue recovery efforts in communities that were ravaged when the hurricane slammed the country with destructive winds and flooding rain.
Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holmness announced on Saturday that the death toll in his country in the wake of the Category 5 hurricane has risen to 28, and reports of other fatalities are still in the process of being verified.
“We extend heartfelt condolences to the families, friends and communities mourning their loved ones,” Holness said in a statement.
Deaths have also been reported in other countries across the Caribbean, including in Haiti where officials say dozens of people died when a flooded river overflowed its banks and sent water rushing into communities.
FOX Weather Correspondent Reports from the Ground
FOX Weather Correspondent Robert Ray and his team, meteorologist Jarrod Moloney and photojournalist Peter Stolz, rode out the monstrous category 5 storm just east of Montego Bay, and in the days since have traveled across the most affected areas of the Caribbean island after Hurricane Melissa tore across western Jamaica.
“I have never seen a disaster like this in my life,” Ray said, who has covered such other disasters as Hurricanes Katrina and Helene, and the Mayfield, Kentucky tornado. “One community after the next is in total ruin.”
Drone Video Reveals Catastrophic Devastation
In Saint Elizabeth Parish, on the southwestern part of the island just east of where the monster storm came ashore, families scattered debris around their destroyed homes and belongings.
One mother Ray interviewed said her five children are headed to a shelter after their home was destroyed and all of their belongings lost.
Another displaced Jamaican told Ray, “It was rough. House gone, food gone, clothes gone, everything gone.”
Ray said as they were going through this part of the neighborhood, people were screaming for help and water.
Before and After Satellite Imagery Reveals Extend of Damage
“We gave them everything they had,” he said.
His team made its way farther inland, chronicling the destruction in the towns of Santa Cruz, Middle Quarters and Holland Bamboo.
“It was the longest 7-hour disaster movie of my life,” one resident told Maloney. Another said, “This was three times (as bad as) Gilbert.”
Complete Destruction Near Landfall in Black River
On Friday, Ray’s team made their way to Black River, a town sitting merely 12 miles from where the historic hurricane made landfall and now is forever changed.
Bustling streets were transformed into mountains of rubble overnight.
Now, on the front lines in Black River just days after the arrival of the catastrophic hurricane, locals are struggling to cope with the scale of devastation that ravaged the coastal town, although Black River Mayor Richard Solomon told Ray, “hope is not lost.”
Local officials called Black River ground zero for Hurricane Melissa.
“The entire town is beyond recognition,” said one local resident.
In addition to search and rescue teams and first responders leading clean-up efforts, chaplains and the JCF welfare division were in Black River providing emotional support to all affected by the extreme devastation.
Red Cross: Recovery Efforts Underway
Rescue efforts are underway across the Caribbean after Hurricane Melissa devastated Jamaica. Jagan Chapagain, Chief Executive Officer and Secretary General of the IFRC joins LiveNOW’s Christina Evans to talk about recovery efforts.
Roads Remain Damaged and Nearly Impassable
Ray spent Wednesday night documenting their harrowing drive back from Santa Cruz toward their home base hours away in Kingston. Lines of cars and emergency vehicles struggled to navigate roads that are now strewn with debris and rocks; many still flooded.
“We are trying to get out of the most impacted zone in southwestern Jamaica right now,” Ray said as he slowly drove his way through the chaotic scene. “The road in in daylight was the most difficult terrain that I have ever experienced. To try and get into an impact zone. The wind field and the mix of water has created a disaster like no other.”
Montego Bay Faces Destruction of Winds, Storm Surge
The scenes were no better on the northern side of the island where Melissa exited about four hours later.
Montego Bay and its surrounding communities took a direct hit from likely 100+ mph winds and multiple feet of storm surge.
Drone video there showed a soccer stadium in town covered in water and mud — a scene common throughout the surrounding Catherine Hall neighborhoods. Storm surge buried the town in water and mud that was feet deep, pushed in off the beaches from the 100+ mph winds.
The bulk of the seawater has since retreated into the Caribbean, but a thick, grimy film of muddy water remains clinging to roads, yards and even the lower floors of many homes — many also sustaining substantial wind damage.
Residents Plead for Help
On the ground, Ray was escorted around the Catherine Hall neighborhood as residents trying to come to grips with the destruction were eager to show the world the enormous amount of help that’s needed.
Ray walked down a mud-filled side road to find homes still under several inches of mud and water, if not more.
“We need help! We need help, please, to clear our roads,” one woman exasperatedly pleaded. She walked in her front door to show the puddles of mud still shin-deep in her entryway.
International Aid Begins to Arrive
Offers for aid have been coming in from across the region, including the U.S.
In a post on X early Wednesday morning, the Department of State said it would deploy a regional Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) and activate U.S.-based Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) teams to help with recovery efforts.
The U.S. Embassy in Jamaica also released a statement and said that Pres. Donald Trump had authorized the “immediate U.S. response.”
Jamaican officials announced Friday that Montego Bay’s airport had already reopened to relief flights and would reopen for commercial flights on Saturday morning.
Conclusion
Hurricane Melissa has left a trail of destruction and death in its wake, with the people of Jamaica struggling to cope with the scale of the devastation. As the international community begins to respond with aid, it is clear that the road to recovery will be long and difficult. However, with the resilience and determination of the Jamaican people, and the support of the global community, there is hope for a brighter future.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What was the category of Hurricane Melissa when it made landfall in Jamaica?
A: Hurricane Melissa was a Category 5 hurricane
