Melissa, the Most Powerful Tropical Storm of 2025 in the World, Heads Towards Cuba After Hitting Jamaica
Melissa, the most powerful tropical storm of 2025 globally, is heading towards Cuba after severely impacting Jamaica, which has been declared a "disaster zone" by authorities. Many infrastructures were destroyed, and some areas were flooded.
With sustained winds approaching 300 kilometers per hour, the Category 5 hurricane struck western Jamaica head-on around midday. It is the worst hurricane to hit Jamaica since meteorological records began.
Prime Minister Andrew Holmes stated that the island is in a "disaster zone."
Saint Elizabeth, a parish in the southwest of the island home to 150,000 people and known as Jamaica's "breadbasket," has been submerged, according to local elected official Desmond McKenzie during a press conference.
"The damage in Saint Elizabeth is considerable... the entire Jamaica has experienced the devastating effects of Melissa," he added, noting that several hospitals had been damaged.
Lisa Sangster, a local resident, shared with AFP, "Part of our roof was taken by the wind, another part collapsed, and the whole house is flooded. External structures like animal enclosures and the kitchen have also been destroyed."
Hurricane Melissa, with winds of nearly 300 kilometers per hour, is the strongest tropical storm of 2025 worldwide, according to an AFP analysis of weather data from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
As the fifth recorded Category 5 tropical storm of 2025, Melissa is more powerful in terms of wind speed (298 km/h) and pressure (892 millibars) than Cyclone Errol, Hurricanes Erin and Humberto, and Typhoon Ragasa. The latter, which struck East Asia in September, was previously considered the year's most violent, with peak winds of 267 km/h and a minimum pressure of 910 mb.
The last storm more intense by these two indicators was Typhoon Mawar in 2023, which had a pressure of 891 mb and sustained winds exceeding 305 km/h.
After losing some strength and being downgraded to Category 4, Melissa began to leave Jamaica heading towards Cuba around 9 PM GMT, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC), warning that it remains "extremely dangerous."
In Cuba, residents are fleeing the coast as Melissa approaches. Local authorities have declared a "state of alert" in six eastern provinces, and residents have been trying to stock up on food, candles, and batteries since Monday.
"We bought bread, spaghetti, and ground meat. This cyclone is serious, but we will get through it," said Graciela Lamaison, whom AFP met in Santiago de Cuba, a province in the southeast of the island.
In Saint Catherine, central Jamaica, the Rio Cobre River overflowed, and strong winds tore down fences and roofs, as noted by an AFP photographer.
Kingston, the capital, has been relatively spared, according to 31-year-old resident Mathue Tapper. "I feel like the worst is over," he told AFP, although he is very worried about rural areas.
Extremely strong gusts, as well as severe coastal flooding and torrential rains that could cause catastrophic landslides, were expected throughout the country.
Authorities had warned residents to be cautious of crocodiles that might pose a threat due to the flooding.
In such disasters, "water kills far more people than wind," meteorologist Kerry Emanuel had pointed out earlier, emphasizing the role of climate change.
By warming the seas, it leads to the rapid intensification of a greater number of storms, as seen with Hurricane Melissa.
Before even making landfall, the hurricane had already claimed three lives in Jamaica as the country prepared for its arrival, along with three others in Haiti and one in the Dominican Republic.
In Haiti, authorities ordered the closure of schools, businesses, and administrations on Wednesday.
The UN announced on Tuesday its intention to airlift around 2,000 relief kits to Jamaica from Barbados as soon as possible.
The last major hurricane to hit Jamaica was Gilbert in September 1988. Less powerful than Melissa, it resulted in 40 fatalities and caused extensive damage.
The country, whose economy heavily relies on tourism, had closed its international airport and ports in advance. While some tourists managed to leave, 25,000 remained, according to the government on Tuesday.
Like the locals, they were instructed to shelter in hotel rooms or hurricane shelters and wait until the hurricane had passed before going outside on Tuesday.
Hurricane Melissa is expected to make landfall in Cuba early Wednesday before moving closer to the southern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands, a British territory.
AFP