Hurricane Melissa Hits Cuba with 115 MPH Winds as Jamaican PM Declares Island a ‘Disaster Area’

Hurricane Melissa has battered eastern Cuba, unleashing torrential rain and destructive winds that have caused widespread flooding and damage.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) issued an update at 5 a.m. ET on Wednesday, Oct. 29, confirming that the powerful storm — considered the strongest tropical cyclone of the year so far — was producing sustained winds of 115 mph while moving at 12 mph.

Before making landfall, the NHC described Melissa as “an extremely dangerous major hurricane,” according to an update on X. The storm hit Cuba as a Category 3 hurricane, CNN reported, after slamming into Jamaica as a Category 5 system the previous day.

According to the BBC, the hurricane’s center is sweeping across the eastern side of Cuba, far from the capital city of Havana.

Hurricane warnings remain in effect across several major cities, including Santiago de Cuba and Guantánamo, the NHC said in its latest report.

After hitting Cuba, the storm — which has reportedly claimed at least seven lives — is expected to weaken as it continues moving northeast toward the Bahamas and Bermuda, per the BBC.

In Jamaica, officials and residents are still assessing the scale of destruction left behind after the storm’s direct hit on Tuesday, Oct. 28.

Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness declared the island a “disaster area” in a Facebook post on Tuesday, warning of “devastating impacts” where the hurricane made landfall during an interview with CNN.

“Reports that we have had so far include damage to hospitals, significant damage to residential property, housing and commercial property as well,” Holness told CNN.

He added in his Facebook message, “Our country has been ravaged by Hurricane Melissa but we will rebuild and we will do so even better than before.”

Holness continued, “Tonight I encourage Jamaicans to be hopeful. I know many, especially those in the worst affected parishes, are feeling disheartened. Your homes may have been damaged or destroyed and your communities and towns no longer look the same. I know your pain and I feel your loss. We are mobilizing quickly to start the relief and recovery efforts and will be there with you every step of the way.”

According to AccuWeather and The Weather Channel, Melissa made landfall in Jamaica as a Category 5 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 185 mph near New Hope.

The storm is now considered not only the strongest of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season but also one of the most powerful hurricanes on record for the year. It ranks among the strongest storms ever to strike the Atlantic basin, tying Hurricane Dorian (2019) and the 1935 Labor Day hurricane, according to The Weather Channel.

Melissa lingered in the Caribbean for several days, forming as a tropical storm on Tuesday, Oct. 21, before rapidly intensifying into a hurricane on Saturday, Oct. 25. Less than a day later, it reached major hurricane strength.

By Tuesday, Melissa had intensified to Category 5 — the highest level on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale — before slamming into Jamaica.

The Jamaican government issued mandatory evacuation orders on Sunday for the most vulnerable coastal areas, CNN reported. The U.S. Embassy in Jamaica also urged American citizens in the country to seek immediate shelter.

“Melissa is expected to bring 15 to 30 inches of rain to parts of Jamaica, with storm totals possibly reaching 40 inches. Catastrophic flash flooding and numerous landslides are likely,” the embassy warned in its weather advisory on Monday, Oct. 27 — just one day before landfall.