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Hurricane Melissa, the fifth named storm of the unusually active 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, rapidly intensified to Category 4 strength on Sunday morning, October 26, 2025, with maximum sustained winds of 225 km/h (140 mph).
Located approximately 209 km southeast of Kingston and moving slowly westward at only 5-8 km/h (3-5 mph), it is forecast to strengthen further to an unusual Category 5 storm before making a direct or near-direct landfall on Jamaica’s southern coast late Monday or early Tuesday (October 27-28).
This slowness exacerbates the threat, potentially exposing the island to multi-day hurricane conditions (up to 72 hours or more), making it one of the most severe storms in Jamaica’s modern history, rivaling or surpassing Hurricane Gilbert (1988), a Category 3 hurricane that devastated the island with winds of 193 km/h (120 mph).
On Sunday afternoon, the outer bands were beginning to lash Jamaica’s southern parishes with heavy rain and gusty winds, but the most intense impacts are still expected hours away.
The entire island is under a hurricane watch, and all preparations are urged to be completed immediately. Airports, including Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston, closed Saturday night, stranding travelers and suspending commercial flights.
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While the core of the storm has not yet reached Jamaica, preliminary effects are already evident:
Outer rain bands have dumped 5 to 10 cm of rain in southern and eastern parishes (e.g., St. Elizabeth, Manchester, and St. Andrew), triggering localized flash flooding in low-lying and urban areas such as Kingston. The Jamaica Meteorological Service reports isolated road closures due to standing water.
Tropical storm-force gusts (63-117 km/h) are affecting the southern coasts, with scattered power outages in rural areas.
Widespread power outages have not yet been reported. No deaths or injuries were reported in Jamaica as of Sunday evening, although the storm has been linked to four previous flood deaths in the Dominican Republic.
More than 650 emergency shelters are open islandwide, with voluntary evacuations underway in flood-prone coastal communities such as Port Royal and parts of Montego Bay.
Public hospitals went into “emergency mode” on Thursday, canceling non-essential procedures.
All ports and airports are closed, and the National Emergency Operations Center is fully activated. Schools, businesses, and government offices will remain closed at least until Tuesday.
Social media in Jamaica reflects growing anxiety, with residents sharing videos of boarded-up homes, boats secured in St. Ann, and calls for prayer.
Meteorologists such as those at the National Hurricane Center (NHC) emphasize: “There is nowhere that will escape the fury of this storm.”
Melissa’s combination of extreme intensity, low speed, and proximity to Jamaica’s rugged geography sets the stage for unprecedented devastation. The NHC and AccuWeather describe it as a “slow-motion disaster” with potential humanitarian crisis levels.
These impacts could cause severe damage to infrastructure, with meteorologists estimating billions of dollars in losses, far exceeding those of recent storms like Beryl (2024).
Vulnerable populations in informal settlements and rural areas face the greatest risks, potentially displacing tens of thousands of people.
The slow pace of progress amplifies all the dangers, as the storm’s rain and winds will persist, saturating soils and collapsing drainage systems.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness addressed the nation on Sunday, urging evacuations from low-lying areas without forcing them, emphasizing, “All of Jamaica will be affected.” The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) has distributed supplies to shelters and activated search and rescue teams. International aid is on standby from the US, the UK, and CARICOM.
Jamaicans are demonstrating resilience, and their neighbors are helping the elderly and sharing resources. Social media campaigns (#HurricaneMelissa, #PrayForJamaica) are coordinating aid and morale boosting.
Hurricane Melissa represents the worst-case scenario for Jamaica: a major hurricane with prolonged exposure, potentially making it the most powerful hurricane to make landfall on the island in over a century and one of the deadliest in the Caribbean this season.
While Jamaica’s history of storms like Gilbert and Ivan has strengthened preparedness, the magnitude of this hurricane could overwhelm available resources, causing significant loss of life (possibly dozens to hundreds if warnings are not heeded), economic setbacks in tourism and agriculture, and challenges for long-term recovery amid the intensification of the phenomenon driven by climate change.
After making landfall, Melissa is expected to weaken slightly but remain a major hurricane as it crosses southeastern Cuba Tuesday night and then moves toward the southeastern Bahamas on Wednesday, avoiding the continental United States but overwhelming regional relief networks.
Recovery in Jamaica could take months, and immediate needs will focus on search and rescue, medical assistance, and reconstruction.
The storm highlights the increasing ferocity of Atlantic hurricanes; in 2025, four of its first five storms reached Category 4 or higher, an unusual pattern linked to rising ocean temperatures.
Residents and international observers are urged to monitor updates from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) and the Jamaica Meteorological Service. Jamaica’s spirit of unity will be key to overcoming this ordeal. Our support and condolences go out to the island during this difficult time.
