Hurricane Melissa Batters Cuba After Historic Category 5 Landfall in Jamaica

Hurricane Melissa made its second landfall in southeastern Cuba early Wednesday as a Category 3 storm, bringing destructive winds, torrential rain, and a life-threatening storm surge to coastal areas.

According to the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC), Melissa came ashore near Chivirico around 3:10 a.m. EDT with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph (193 km/h). The storm is expected to move across the Bahamas late Wednesday and pass near Bermuda by Thursday night.

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A Trail of Destruction in the Caribbean

The storm’s latest impact follows a historic Category 5 landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday — one of the most powerful ever recorded in the Atlantic Basin. Melissa struck near New Hope, Jamaica, with winds reaching 185 mph (295 km/h) and a central pressure of 892 millibars, tying records with the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane and Hurricane Dorian (2019).

“This will go down in the record books as one of the strongest landfalls ever observed in the Atlantic,” the NHC said, warning of prolonged recovery efforts for both Jamaica and southeast Cuba.

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Flooding and Landslides in Jamaica and Hispaniola

Even as Melissa moved away, catastrophic flash floods and landslides continued across Jamaica and Haiti, particularly in mountainous areas.

“Runoff from heavy rainfall will continue for days, causing flooding long after the winds subside,” the NHC cautioned.

Temperatures are expected to rise again in Jamaica later this week, bringing heat indices in the upper 80s°F (30°C) range. Officials have urged residents to stay hydrated and operate generators safely in the aftermath of widespread power outages.

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Cuba Faces Heavy Rain and Coastal Inundation

Eastern Cuba is now bearing the brunt of Melissa’s passage. Wind gusts have already reached 75 mph in Guantanamo Bay, while up to 25 inches of rain could fall in parts of the region — triggering potentially catastrophic flash flooding and landslides.

Storm surge flooding of 5 to 8 feet is also expected along Cuba’s southern coast.

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Next in Path: The Bahamas and Bermuda

Melissa will rapidly sweep through the southeast Bahamas later Wednesday before making its closest approach to Bermuda late Thursday.

• Bahamas: Up to 10 inches of rain and a storm surge of 5–8 feet are forecast.

• Bermuda: Hurricane conditions could develop Thursday night, with winds diminishing by early Friday if Melissa tracks as forecast.

Residents in low-lying areas of both island chains have been urged to complete storm preparations immediately.

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A Rapidly Intensifying Monster

Melissa began as a tropical storm in the central Caribbean last Tuesday — the 13th named storm of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season. It rapidly strengthened into a Category 4 hurricane in just 24 hours, feeding on unusually warm Caribbean waters, before reaching Category 5 intensity early Monday.

Meteorologists noted that Melissa maintained Category 5 status for 36 hours, one of the longest durations on record, and was the strongest storm on Earth in 2025 to date.

Experts say the storm’s extreme intensification underscores growing concerns over the influence of warmer ocean temperatures on hurricane behavior.

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Warnings in Effect

The NHC has issued:

• Hurricane Warnings for eastern Cuba and parts of the southeast Bahamas;

• Tropical Storm Warnings for western Bahamas; and

• Hurricane Watches for Bermuda.

Authorities across the region continue to urge residents to remain alert for flash flooding, coastal inundation, and extended power disruptions.