Category 5 Hurricane Melissa Barrels Towards Jamaica, Haiti, and Cuba, Threatening Catastrophic Devastation

Hurricane Melissa intensified into an "extraordinary" Category 5 storm on Monday, October 27, 2025, posing an unprecedented threat to Jamaica, Haiti, and Cuba, according to CBS News. With sustained winds reaching 175 mph, Melissa is forecast to unleash catastrophic impacts across the Caribbean region over the coming days.

Forecasters warn of life-threatening flash flooding and widespread landslides due to torrential rainfall, alongside destructive storm surges. The slow-moving nature of the hurricane is expected to prolong these devastating effects, particularly in Jamaica, as reported by CBS News.

For Jamaica, Melissa is anticipated to be the strongest hurricane to make landfall since record-keeping began in 1851, a grim milestone noted by AccuWeather's chief meteorologist, Jonathan Porter. The island's mountainous terrain is expected to exacerbate rainfall totals, leading to extreme flooding.

As of Monday evening, the storm's center was located approximately 140 miles southwest of Kingston, Jamaica, crawling northwest at a mere 3 mph, CBS News stated. Its core is projected to move over Jamaica through Tuesday, then across southeastern Cuba Tuesday night, and subsequently impact the southeastern Bahamas by Wednesday.

Haiti and the Dominican Republic have already experienced initial impacts, with at least three deaths reported in Haiti due to a landslide and one in the Dominican Republic, according to un News. Eastern Cuba is now bracing for direct hits, with authorities ordering evacuations for hundreds of thousands of residents, CBS News reported.

In response to the escalating crisis, the U.S. State Department issued natural disaster travel alerts for the affected nations, urging citizens to seek shelter or depart if possible, CBS News confirmed. International aid organizations, including UNICEF and the Red Cross, are mobilizing resources and pre-positioning critical supplies across the region.

• Unprecedented Threat to Jamaica's History: Hurricane Melissa is poised to become the most powerful storm to ever directly strike Jamaica since records began in 1851, a fact highlighted by OPB. While Hurricane Gilbert in 1988 was a significant event, it made landfall as a Category 3, and other strong storms like Ivan and Beryl passed close but did not make direct landfall as Category 4 or higher, according to accuweather. This makes Melissa's projected impact historically significant for the island nation, as noted by The Washington Post.

• Vulnerabilities and Infrastructure Risks: The affected Caribbean nations, particularly Jamaica, Haiti, and Cuba, face severe vulnerabilities. Jamaica's mountainous terrain will intensify rainfall, potentially leading to up to 40 inches in some areas, as reported by FOX Weather. Coastal areas, including Kingston, are highly susceptible to storm surge, threatening critical infrastructure like the main international airport and power plants, AccuWeather's Jonathan Porter warned. Haiti, already grappling with existing crises, is especially vulnerable to extensive infrastructural damage and community isolation, according to unICEF.

• Mounting Humanitarian Crisis and Aid Efforts: UNICEF estimates that at least 1.6 million children across the Caribbean are at risk from Hurricane Melissa's devastating effects, UN News reported. In anticipation, UNICEF has pre-positioned thousands of water containers and hygiene kits in Jamaica, Haiti, and Cuba, and is preparing for emergency cash transfers for vulnerable families. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) confirmed that local Red Cross teams are actively assisting with preventive evacuations and providing psychosocial support in Cuba, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic. The World Food Programme is also providing logistical and food assistance in Jamaica, UN News added.

• Economic and Social Disruption: The economic implications for the affected islands are expected to be severe. The slow movement of Melissa means prolonged exposure to destructive forces, leading to widespread damage to homes, agriculture, and essential services, as noted by CBS News. The U.S. State Department's travel alerts underscore the potential for significant disruption, and the long-term recovery efforts will likely require substantial international support, AccuWeather's Porter stated.

• Meteorological Intensity and Slow Pace: Melissa's rapid intensification to a Category 5 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 175 mph, places it among the most powerful storms on record, CBS News confirmed. The storm's exceptionally slow forward speed of 3 mph is a critical factor, as it means affected areas will endure multi-day exposure to extreme rainfall and winds, significantly increasing the risk of catastrophic flash flooding and landslides, according to The Guardian and UNICEF. This prolonged impact is expected to cause more extensive damage than faster-moving systems, The Guardian reported.

• Governmental and Community Preparedness: Governments in the path of Melissa have initiated extensive preparedness measures. Jamaica's Prime Minister Andrew Holness acknowledged the severity of the situation, stating he had been "on his knees in prayer" while urging citizens to prepare, The Washington Post reported. Jamaica has activated over 650 shelters, with thousands of food packages pre-positioned for distribution, globalnews.ca confirmed. In Cuba, authorities have ordered the evacuation of approximately 650,000 people in eastern provinces, CBS News stated.

• Climate Change and Stronger Storms: Experts are drawing connections between the intensity of Hurricane Melissa and the broader trend of climate change. Professor Liz Stephens, an expert in climate risks and resilience at the University of Reading, commented that Melissa serves as a "stark example" of what other countries may face, with climate change fueling stronger storms and higher rainfall totals, The Guardian reported. This perspective underscores the growing challenge of extreme weather events in vulnerable regions.