Hurricane Melissa Hits Jamaica as Strongest Category 5 Storm Ever, Causing Severe Damage

Liputan6.com, Jakarta Hurricane Melissa, an active tropical cyclone threatening the Greater Antilles, made landfall in Jamaica on October 28, 2025, as a formidable Category 5 hurricane.

The storm brought powerful winds that tore off roofs and flash floods that paralyzed much of the country's southwest.

This marked one of the worst natural disasters ever to hit Jamaica, with impacts expected to extend as far as Cuba and the Bahamas.

As the thirteenth named storm and the fifth hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, Hurricane Melissa displayed extraordinary intensity.

Winds reached 185 mph (298 km/h) upon landfall, making it one of the strongest hurricanes ever recorded.

Hurricane Melissa was confirmed as an active tropical cyclone in the Caribbean Sea, reaching Category 5 status, the highest level on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, upon landfall in Jamaica.

The storm formed from a tropical wave that began monitoring on October 16, 2025.

With maximum sustained winds of 185 mph (298 km/h), Melissa became one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes ever recorded.

The minimum pressure at the center of the storm was recorded at 892 millibars (mb), placing it on par with the 1935 Labor Day hurricane as the third-most powerful Atlantic hurricane by pressure.

One of Melissa's most concerning characteristics was its rapid intensification, with wind speeds increasing from 70 mph to 140 mph (225 km/h) in just one day.

Its movement is around 7-8 mph (11-13 km/h).

Hurricane Melissa's impact on Jamaica was severe, especially in the southwest.

Strong winds ripped roofs off buildings, including part of the roof of Black River Hospital in southwest Jamaica, which led to the evacuation of 75 patients.

More than 530,000 Jamaicans were reported without power as of Tuesday evening, indicating the widespread scale of the outages.

Road infrastructure also suffered significant damage from landslides, fallen trees, and rocks blocking access.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness emphasized that no infrastructure in the region was designed to withstand a Category 5 hurricane.

Devastating flash floods and landslides are expected due to rainfall of 15 to 30 inches (380-760 mm), with some locations reaching as much as 40 inches (1,016 mm).

The storm has also caused fatalities and injuries. Before it reached Jamaica, at least six deaths and six injuries were confirmed in Haiti and the Dominican Republic due to flooding from Melissa's outer rainbands.

In Jamaica itself, three deaths and 13 injuries were reported related to hurricane preparations.

In total, Forbes reported eight deaths from Melissa.

Areas such as Mandeville, Montego Bay, Negril, Black River, and Alligator Pond are expected to be the hardest hit, threatening the tourism industry, which accounts for a third of Jamaica's domestic economy.

Ahead of Hurricane Melissa's arrival, the Jamaican government made maximum preparations to mitigate the impact.

Mandatory evacuation orders were issued in low-lying areas prone to flooding, although many residents chose to remain in their homes.

A total of 850 shelters have been prepared across the island, with a capacity of more than 20,000 people.

However, as of Tuesday morning, only about 6,000 people were in 382 shelters.

This situation highlights the challenge of ensuring compliance with evacuation orders, even though the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) has issued a warning that conditions are "extremely dangerous" and urged residents to remain sheltered.

Despite this, the Jamaican government has stated that it has done everything possible to prepare for the storm.

People in Kingston, Jamaica, begin preparations for Hurricane Melissa — placing concrete bricks on top of chicken coops, loading bags of sand into their cars, moving boats to higher ground — which is now a Category 4 storm. Read more: https://t.co/XaLpY7JDCg pic.twitter.com/SB1bEIYiUb

— ABC News (@ABC) October 27, 2025

After crossing Jamaica, Hurricane Melissa is expected to continue its northeastward movement.

The forecast track indicates it will be over southeastern Cuba on Wednesday morning.

Melissa is expected to reach the southeastern or central Bahamas on Wednesday afternoon, retaining its hurricane status.

The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) also warned of potential flash flooding and severe landslides on Hispaniola, the island shared between Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

The storm is likely to remain a significant hurricane as it approaches the Turks and Caicos, expanding its threat area into the Caribbean.

Historically, Hurricane Melissa is the strongest hurricane to hit Jamaica since record-keeping began 174 years ago in 1851, and the first Category 5 hurricane to make landfall directly on the island nation.

Its winds of 185 mph place it on a par with Hurricane Dorian (2019) and the Labor Day hurricane (1935) as the strongest hurricanes to make landfall in the Atlantic.