Introduction to Hurricane Melissa
Hurricane Melissa’s maximum sustained winds had increased to 105 mph as the restrengthening storm made its way past the Bahamas early Thursday after lashing Cuba on Wednesday and carving a slow and destructive path in Jamaica and triggering deadly floods in Haiti.
Melissa will grow in size on its way toward Bermuda and is expected to pass northwest of the island. It could restrengthen more by Thursday evening, though it would be a “quick event” for the island with not much rain given Melissa’s faster speed by that time, according to Michael Brennan, director of the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
Storm Path and Expected Impact
The storm made its second landfall just after 3 a.m. Wednesday in eastern Cuba near the city of Chivirico as a Category 3 storm, a day after barreling into Jamaica with 185 mph sustained winds — tied for the strongest Atlantic hurricane landfall in recorded history.
The U.S. east coast should expect large swells and tumultuous marine conditions, as effects from Melissa combine with a storm traveling across the U.S.
Destruction and Casualties
Destruction reached far beyond Jamaica. At least 23 people have died across Haiti and 18 are missing, Haiti’s Civil Protection Agency said in a statement, revising the death toll downward. Twenty of those reported dead and 10 of the missing are from the southern coastal town of Petit-Goâve, where flooding collapsed dozens of homes.
Melissa already had 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. At least one new death was reported in Jamaica on Wednesday after a tree fell on a baby. Authorities have found at least four bodies in southwest Jamaica as of Thursday.
Relief Efforts
Prime Minister Andrew Holness said up to 90% of roofs in the southwest coastal community of Black River were destroyed.
“The people are still coming to grips with the destruction.”
More than 25,000 people remained crowded into shelters across the western half of Jamaica, with 77% of the island without power.
Emergency relief flights began landing at Jamaica’s main international airport, which reopened late Wednesday, as crews distributed water, food and other basic supplies.
“The devastation is enormous,” Jamaican Transportation Minister Daryl Vaz said.
Storm Updates
As of 5 a.m. Thursday, Melissa’s core was 215 miles northeast of the central Bahamas. The storm’s wind had had increased to 105 mph, up from 90 mph at 8 p.m. Wednesday. Melissa was moving north-northeast at 21 mph.
Hurricane Melissa’s path as of 5 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025. (National Hurricane Center/Courtesy)
Previous Landfalls
About 1 p.m. Tuesday, Melissa’s eye made its first landfall at New Hope, Jamaica, 75 miles west of Kingston, with maximum sustained winds of 185 mph.
The storm’s impacts have been dramatic. Heavy floodwaters swept across southwestern Jamaica, winds tore roofs off buildings and boulders tumbled into roads.
International Response
The U.S. government said it was deploying a disaster response team and search-and-rescue personnel to the region. And the State Department said non-emergency personnel and family members of U.S. government employees were authorized to leave Jamaica because of the storm’s impact.
Authorities said about 735,000 people that were in shelters in eastern Cuba had begun returning home.
People recover belongings from a home flooded by Hurricane Melissa in Santiago de Cuba, Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Ramón Espinosa)
Conclusion
Melissa is the 13th named storm of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season.
Including Melissa, five hurricanes have formed so far.
Of the 13 named Atlantic storms, only Tropical Storm Chantal has made a U.S. landfall.
WPLG-TV meteorologist Michael Lowry wrote in his Eye on the Tropics newsletter that long-range models show conditions hostile to hurricanes, with a “winter-like pattern settling over much of the Atlantic in the coming weeks.” In other words, the tropics look mellow for the first half of November.
Hurricane season runs through Nov. 30.
FAQs
Q: What is the current status of Hurricane Melissa?
A: Hurricane Melissa is currently restrengthening as it moves past the Bahamas, with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph.
Q: What is the expected impact of Hurricane Melissa on Bermuda?
A: Melissa is expected to pass northwest of the island, with a potential for restrengthening, but it would be a “quick event” for the island with not much rain given Melissa’s faster speed by that time.
Q: How many people have been affected by Hurricane Melissa?
A: At least 23 people have died across Haiti and 18 are missing, and more than 25,000 people remained crowded into shelters across the western half of Jamaica, with 77% of the island without power.
Q: What is the international response to Hurricane Melissa?
A: The U.S. government is deploying a disaster response team and search-and-rescue personnel to the region, and the State Department has authorized non-emergency personnel and family members of U.S. government employees to leave Jamaica due to the storm’s impact.
