Hurricane Melissa, now a Category 3 storm, struck Cuba early Wednesday after devastating Jamaica less than 24 hours earlier.
The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) described it as an “extremely dangerous” storm that crossed into eastern Cuba with sustained winds of about 120 mph (195 km/h).
As it moved inland, torrential rainfall, powerful gusts, and storm surges up to 12 feet (3.7 metres) above normal battered coastal communities.
Cuban authorities launched one of the largest evacuations in recent history, moving around 735,000 people to safety.
Emergency shelters have been opened across Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo, Holguin, and Las Tunas provinces.
Local media reported that floodwaters have already damaged power lines, homes, and transport infrastructure in low-lying areas.
President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez urged citizens to “stay alert and disciplined,” as officials warned of further flooding and landslides from rainfall exceeding 25 inches (63 cm).
The US National Hurricane Center also issued an alert on Twitter, warning that the centre of Hurricane Melissa is now over eastern Cuba.
Hurricane #Melissa Advisory 32: Melissa Bringing Damaging Winds, Flooding Rains, and Dangerous Storm Surge as it Moves Over Eastern Cuba. hurricanes.gov
Unprecedented destruction in Jamaica before Cuba landfall
Melissa made landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday afternoon as a Category 5 hurricane with sustained winds of about 185 mph (298 km/h). It was the strongest storm ever recorded on the island, surpassing Hurricane Gilbert of 1988.
The impact was catastrophic: roofs were torn away, trees uprooted, and power networks crippled.
More than 500,000 residents lost electricity, while 15,000 people sought shelter. Three hospitals sustained heavy damage, forcing emergency evacuations.
The worst-hit areas include the parishes of St Elizabeth, Westmoreland, and Clarendon, where roads remain blocked by debris. In Kingston, strong winds tore down billboards and flooded streets.
Cotality, a property intelligence company, estimates the cost of property damage in Jamaica between $5 billion and $10 billion.
The UN said humanitarian aid, including food and medical supplies, will be dispatched once conditions allow airports to reopen.
Cuba’s vulnerable infrastructure under threat
Cuba’s eastern provinces, already economically fragile, face heightened risks as infrastructure damage mounts. The government has prioritised protecting coastal zones, power grids, and hospitals.
Rescue teams are working to restore electricity and clear transport corridors, but communications remain intermittent.
State media reported pre-emptive measures to safeguard agricultural assets, including the relocation of livestock and storage of food reserves.
Many coastal towns, particularly in Guantánamo and Holguin, remain cut off by floods. International agencies, including the UN and Red Cross, have begun coordination efforts to deliver relief supplies once the weather stabilises.
Rising ocean heat fuels Melissa’s intensification
Meteorologists attribute Melissa’s rapid escalation from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane to record-warm sea surface temperatures above 30 °C across the Caribbean.
These conditions accelerated wind speeds and pressure drops far beyond normal rates.
The World Meteorological Organization noted that such rapid intensification events are becoming more frequent, consistent with global climate models projecting stronger and faster-developing tropical systems.
Melissa’s power rivals the most destructive hurricanes ever recorded in the Atlantic, including Dorian in 2019, which devastated the Bahamas with 185 mph winds.
While data remains incomplete, no storm this strong has ever struck Jamaica since records began in 1851.
Regional damage and continuing threat
The storm has already caused at least seven deaths across the Caribbean, including three in Haiti, and endangered about 3.5 million people according to UN and EU disaster monitoring agencies.
Flooding, power loss, and blocked roads have slowed relief operations across multiple islands.
Melissa’s trajectory now points toward the Bahamas and potentially Bermuda later this week, where forecasters warn of heavy rains and destructive winds.
The US is monitoring the storm, with President Donald Trump stating that humanitarian assistance will be sent to Jamaica as soon as conditions permit.
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