Hurricane Melissa roared into Category 5 strength early Monday, becoming the most powerful storm of the Atlantic season and posing a catastrophic threat to several Caribbean islands. The Miami-based National Hurricane Center warned that the storm could bring “life-threatening and potentially catastrophic” flash flooding, landslides, and storm surges to Jamaica, southern Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and eastern Cuba over the next several days.
As of 5 a.m. Eastern time, Melissa’s center was located about 130 miles south-southwest of Kingston, Jamaica, and 315 miles south-southwest of Guantanamo, Cuba. The hurricane packed maximum sustained winds of 160 miles per hour, with hurricane-force winds extending 30 miles from its center and tropical-storm-force winds reaching up to 195 miles. The storm was moving slowly west at just 3 mph, a pace that could worsen flooding as heavy rains linger over affected regions.
Forecasts predict the core of Melissa will move near or directly over Jamaica Monday night into Tuesday, cross southeastern Cuba Tuesday night, and then pass over the southeastern Bahamas by Wednesday. Meteorologists expect additional strengthening before the storm reaches land. Upon landfall in Jamaica, storm surges could reach up to 13 feet, accompanied by destructive waves and rainfall totals exceeding 30 inches in some areas.
Melissa could be the strongest hurricane ever recorded to strike Jamaica, surpassing Hurricane Gilbert of 1988, which killed 45 people and caused over $700 million in damage. The island’s mountainous terrain could amplify rainfall totals, increasing the risk of severe landslides and flooding.
The hurricane has triggered a series of emergency alerts across the region. Warnings are in effect for Jamaica and Cuba’s eastern provinces of Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantanamo, and Holguin. The southeastern and central Bahamas, along with the Turks and Caicos Islands, are under hurricane watch, while Haiti and Cuba’s Las Tunas province remain under tropical storm warnings.
The U.S. Naval Station at Guantanamo Bay began evacuating nonessential personnel as the storm approached.
While Melissa is not expected to directly impact the U.S. mainland, forecasters said it could remain one of the most intense Atlantic systems of 2025. The National Hurricane Center cautioned that continued heavy rainfall across the Caribbean through midweek could lead to widespread flooding and infrastructure damage.
Source: CBS News