Hurricane Melissa is at Category 5 strength in the Caribbean and is expected to move over Jamaica on Tuesday \u2014 the first of what could be multiple landfalls for the catastrophic, slow-moving storm, forecasters said.
\nThe storm has started its turn to the north and will turn northeast at a slightly faster pace Tuesday. Its current track has it making landfall in Jamaica about 8 a.m. Tuesday some 60 miles west of Kingston then again in eastern Cuba, west of Guant\u00e1namo, overnight into Wednesday morning.<\/p>\n
Jamaica was already experiencing tropical storm conditions by Monday evening while life-threatening wind conditions and storm surge were expected to begin reaching the island overnight, the hurricane center said.
\n\u201cWithin the eyewall, total structural failure is likely, especially in higher elevation areas where wind speeds atop and on the windward sides of hills and mountains could be up to 30 percent stronger,\u201d the hurricane center\u2019s latest forecast said.
\nSeveral towns along Jamaica\u2019s southern coast already reported power outages as winds picked up throughout the night. More than 50,000 customers were without power. Landslides, fallen trees and downed power lines were reported ahead of the storm.<\/p>\n
The erratic and slow-moving storm killed at least three people in Haiti and a fourth person in the Dominican Republic, where another person remains missing. Two people died in Jamaica over the weekend as they cut trees ahead of the storm, according to the country\u2019s emergency management office.
\nIn the Caribbean, the National Hurricane Center is warning of extreme and prolonged amounts of rainfall that will result in numerous life-threatening flash floods, landslides and storm surge.
\n\u201cWith the slow movement of this system, it doesn\u2019t allow you to recover. It\u2019s going to sit there, pouring water while it\u2019s barely moving and that is a significant challenge that we have to be aware of,\u201d warned Evan Thompson, principal director at Jamaica\u2019s meteorological service.<\/p>\n
AccuWeather meteorologist Jonathan Porter said that critical infrastructure including Jamaica\u2019s main international airport and power plants are located along the coast in Kingston, where a storm surge of up to 13 feet was expected.
\n\u201cThis can become a true humanitarian crisis very quickly, and there is likely going to be the need for a lot of international support,\u201d Porter said.
\nAs of 8 p.m. Monday, Melissa\u2019s maximum sustained winds held steady at 175 mph as the storm was barely drifting northwest at 2 mph about 155 miles southwest of Kingston, Jamaica, and 335 miles southwest of Guant\u00e1namo, Cuba.<\/p>\n
At that strength, it would be the strongest hurricane to hit the island since record-keeping began in 1851.
\nA storm of Category 4 or higher has not made landfall in Jamaica in 174 years of record-keeping. Hurricane Gilbert was a Category 3 storm when it hit the island in 1988. Hurricanes Ivan and Beryl were both Category 4, but they did not make landfall on the island, Thompson said.<\/p>\n
The National Hurricane Service advised residents of Jamaica to prepare for the worst as the storm\u2019s center moves over the island.
\nHurricane-force winds extend outward up to 30 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 195 miles.
\nHurricane warnings are in effect for Jamaica, eastern Cuban and the southeastern and central Bahamas. A hurricane watch is in effect for the Turks and Caicos Islands and a tropical storm warning is in effect for Haiti.
\nThe New York Times reported that the U.S. military has evacuated about 1,000 nonessential Defense Department workers and relatives from the U.S. Navy base at Guant\u00e1namo Bay. Approximately 3,000 residents remain there.
\n
\nNational Hurricane Center Director Dr. Michael Brennan in a live briefing Monday afternoon said strong winds in Melissa\u2019s eyewall could completely destroy shelters, homes and buildings in Jamaica in its path, both on the coast and in central parts of the island as the center moves across during the day Tuesday. Melissa\u2019s forward speed will increase and the eye will move \u201cvery quickly across the island,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Up to 40 inches of rain is forecast for some southern parts of the Dominican Republic and Haiti as well as Jamaica through Wednesday, with the Tiburon Peninsula of Haiti possibly seeing as much as 35 inches. Southeast Cuba could see up to 20 inches in some areas. Over the Southeast Bahamas, total rainfall of 4 to 8 inches is expected Tuesday into Wednesday.
\nHurricane Melissa is expected to make several landfalls across the Caribbean, including in Jamaica, Cuba and the Bahamas. (National Hurricane Center\/Courtesy)<\/p>\n
\u201cThe mountainous terrain across these islands will amplify runoff and significantly increase the risk of life-threatening flash flooding, landslides and road washouts,\u201d wrote AccuWeather meteorologists in a release. \u201cThese impacts could isolate communities across these islands for an extended period of time. This can quickly escalate into a humanitarian crisis, where a large number of people are in need of basic supplies such as food, safe drinking water, housing and medical care.\u201d
\nAnticipating the hardship in store for his country, Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness said, \u201cI have been on my knees in prayer.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hanna Mcleod, a 23-year-old hotel receptionist in Kingston, said she boarded up the windows at her home, where her husband and brother are staying. She stocked up on canned corned beef and mackerel and left candles and flashlights throughout the house.
\n\u201cI just told them to keep the door closed,\u201d she said. \u201cI am definitely worried. This is actually the first time I\u2019ll be experiencing this type of hurricane.\u201d
\nMandatory evacuations were ordered in flood-prone communities in Jamaica, with buses ferrying people to safe shelter.<\/p>\n
Hurricane Melissa is a catastrophic storm that poses a significant threat to the Caribbean, particularly Jamaica, Cuba, and the Bahamas. The storm’s slow movement and extreme rainfall will lead to life-threatening flash floods, landslides, and storm surge. It is essential for residents to prepare for the worst and follow evacuation orders. International support will likely be needed to respond to the humanitarian crisis that may unfold.<\/p>\n
Q: What is the current strength of Hurricane Melissa?
\nA: Hurricane Melissa is currently at Category 5 strength with maximum sustained winds of 175 mph.
\nQ: Where is Hurricane Melissa expected to make landfall?
\nA: Hurricane Melissa is expected to make landfall in Jamaica, eastern Cuba, and the southeastern or central Bahamas.
\nQ: What is the expected rainfall from Hurricane Melissa?
\nA: Up to 40 inches of rain is forecast for some southern parts of the Dominican Republic and Haiti as well as Jamaica through Wednesday.
\nQ: What is the potential impact of Hurricane Melissa on critical infrastructure?
\nA: Critical infrastructure, including Jamaica’s main international airport and power plants, are at risk of significant damage or destruction.
\nQ: What is the current situation in Jamaica?
\nA: Jamaica is already experiencing tropical storm conditions, and life-threatening wind conditions and storm surge are expected to begin reaching the island overnight.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Introduction to Hurricane Melissa Hurricane Melissa is at Category 5 strength in the Caribbean and is expected to move over Jamaica on Tuesday \u2014 the first of what could be multiple landfalls for the catastrophic, slow-moving storm, forecasters said. The storm has started its turn to the north and will turn northeast at a slightly […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":21748,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-21746","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-weather"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sun-sentinel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AP25298071079104.jpg?w=1400px&strip=all&w=1400&resize=1400,933&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21746"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21746"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21746\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21749,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21746\/revisions\/21749"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21748"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21746"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21746"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21746"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}