Hurricane Melissa Strengthens to Category 5 in the Caribbean

Hurricane Melissa has intensified into a Category 5 storm, the most powerful level on the Saffir–Simpson scale, as it moves across the Caribbean toward Jamaica. Officials across the region have declared emergency measures, opened shelters, and evacuated residents in coastal and low-lying communities.

According to the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC), Melissa was located about 505 kilometers south-southwest of Guantánamo, Cuba, early Monday. The hurricane is bringing destructive winds, heavy rainfall, and flash floods, with conditions expected to worsen in Jamaica throughout the day and into the night.

The storm is forecast to move over or near Jamaica before continuing toward Cuba and the Bahamas later in the week. Meteorologists warn of up to 75 centimeters of rainfall in some areas of Jamaica, raising the risk of landslides and widespread flooding.

Power outages, communication breakdowns, and impassable roads are expected as the hurricane approaches. Authorities have urged residents to remain indoors and follow official evacuation orders.

Regional Emergency Preparations

Governments across the Caribbean — including Haiti, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, and the Bahamas — have launched large-scale emergency responses. Shelters have been set up, and thousands of people have already been evacuated, according to the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency.

Experts warn that Melissa could become the strongest storm to ever make landfall in Jamaica’s recorded history, with storm surges potentially reaching two meters or higher in some coastal areas.

In southwestern Haiti and parts of Jamaica, authorities are bracing for “catastrophic” flash floods and landslides. The storm has already claimed at least four lives, according to early reports.

In Cuba, six provinces are now on hurricane alert. Local authorities are clearing roads, trimming trees, and dismantling traffic lights to reduce flying debris. Evacuations of coastal towns are also underway as the island, already struggling with power shortages, prepares for the hurricane’s impact.

Meanwhile, in the Dominican Republic, more than 4,000 people have been evacuated, and four southern provinces have been placed on red alert, according to General Juan Manuel Méndez, head of the country’s emergency operations center. Several bridges and homes were already damaged by heavy rainfall ahead of the storm’s arrival.