HAITI — October 29, 2025
Hurricane Melissa, once among the most powerful Atlantic storms on record, continued its destructive journey through the Caribbean on Wednesday, weakening to a Category 2 hurricane after battering Jamaica and triggering deadly floods in southern Haiti.
According to the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami, Melissa’s sustained winds decreased to 105 mph (165 kph) as it moved north-northeast at 14 mph (22 kph). By late morning, the storm’s center was about 45 miles northwest of Guantánamo, Cuba, and roughly 205 miles south of the central Bahamas.
Despite the weakening, authorities warned that the storm remained extremely dangerous. Hundreds of thousands of Cubans were moved into shelters, and hurricane warnings were still in place for the eastern provinces of Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo, Holguín, and Las Tunas, along with the southeastern and central Bahamas.
“Preparations in the Bahamas should be rushed to completion,” the NHC cautioned, as heavy rain and hurricane-force winds began pounding the islands.
Jamaica Reels After Historic Landfall
On Tuesday, Jamaica endured the full force of Melissa, which roared ashore as a Category 5 hurricane packing sustained winds of 185 mph (295 kph) — the strongest storm ever to make direct landfall on the island.
While officials reported that most water systems remained intact, telecommunications networks suffered massive damage.
“Our water systems held up quite well,” a government spokesperson said Wednesday. “But our telecom networks were hit hard. Many families in western Jamaica still can’t reach loved ones.”
To aid communication, Starlink terminals supplied by Elon Musk’s company have been deployed across the hardest-hit areas, offering free satellite connectivity. However, restoring power remains a daunting challenge — about 77% of the island remains without electricity.
The parishes of Manchester and St. Elizabeth, particularly the city of Santa Cruz, bore the brunt of the destruction, with homes leveled, roads blocked, and communities isolated by flooding and debris.
Tragedy in Haiti: River Flooding Claims 25 Lives
In neighboring Haiti, officials confirmed at least 25 fatalities in the southern coastal city of Petit-Goâve, where a river overflowed after relentless rainfall triggered by Melissa’s outer bands.
Mayor Jean Bertrand Subrème described the devastation as “overwhelming,” noting that several homes had collapsed and many residents remained trapped in flood-ravaged neighborhoods.
Meteorologists reported that parts of southern Haiti received more than 12 inches (30 cm) of rain in less than a week, inundating rivers and washing away bridges. The flooding adds yet another layer of hardship for residents already facing economic collapse and widespread violence.
Melissa Heads Toward the Bahamas
By midday Wednesday, Melissa’s core had moved off Cuba’s northern coastline into the Atlantic Ocean. Though downgraded, the hurricane continued to unleash hurricane-force winds and torrential downpours across eastern Cuba.
Forecasters predicted that Melissa would pass between Long Island and Crooked Island in the Bahamas late Wednesday afternoon or evening. Hurricane warnings were issued across the central and southeastern Bahamas, while the Turks and Caicos Islands remained under a tropical storm warning.
Authorities urged residents to stay indoors and prepare for power outages, flash floods, and dangerous storm surges.
A Region Left Reeling
Melissa’s catastrophic power first struck Jamaica, cutting across the island from St. Elizabeth Parish in the south to St. Ann Parish in the north before hitting Cuba and Haiti.
In Cuba, images from Santiago de Cuba showed families wading through debris and salvaging belongings from flattened homes. Evacuations continued across eastern provinces as torrential rain and landslides threatened more communities.
As Melissa moves into the open Atlantic, the storm leaves behind a trail of destruction, with entire towns in crisis, communications down, and urgent humanitarian needs across multiple Caribbean nations.
Reporting by The Haitian Tribune with contributions from the Associated Press, CNN, and the U.S. National Hurricane Center.
