Hurricane Melissa Threatens Jamaica with Catastrophic Winds and Flooding
Visible/IR “sandwich” satellite image of Tropical Storm Melissa at 11:40 a.m. EDT Friday, October 24, 2025. (Image credit: NOAA)
Kingston, Jamaica — Tropical Storm Melissa is rapidly strengthening over the Caribbean and is expected to intensify into a major hurricane this weekend, threatening Jamaica, Haiti, and parts of the northern Caribbean with life-threatening winds, torrential rain, and storm surge. Forecasters warn that Jamaica could face the epicenter of Melissa’s destructive triple threat flash floods, hurricane-force winds, and coastal inundation when the storm makes landfall late Monday or early Tuesday.
As of Saturday morning, Melissa was located about 155 miles southeast of Kingston, packing sustained winds of 70 mph while moving slowly westward. The storm is projected to rapidly intensify into a Category 4 or possibly Category 5 hurricane by Sunday afternoon, according to the National Hurricane Center. “Melissa could become one of the strongest storms ever to strike Jamaica,” meteorologists cautioned, noting that warm sea temperatures and weak wind shear are fueling its rapid intensification.
A hurricane warning is now in effect for Jamaica, where tropical-storm-force winds are expected to begin Saturday night. Southern Haiti remains under a hurricane watch, while the Dominican Republic faces continued flooding threats from the storm’s outer rain bands.
Melissa’s slow movement has worsened conditions across Hispaniola. Torrential rainfall has already triggered landslides and flash floods, claiming at least three lives in Haiti, according to the Haitian Civil Protection Agency. Two of the deaths occurred when a hillside collapsed onto homes in the country’s south.
In the Dominican Republic, authorities confirmed one death and reported that over 1,000 people have been displaced or evacuated from flood-prone communities.
Emergency services in Jamaica are on high alert as the island braces for the storm’s arrival. The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) has activated evacuation protocols for low-lying areas, and shelters have been opened in multiple parishes.
Prime Minister Mark Golding urged calm but warned residents to take official guidance seriously: “This is a dangerous storm. We must act with urgency to safeguard lives and property.” Meteorologists warn that storm surges could exceed 10 feet in coastal areas, while rainfall totals may reach 15 inches, potentially causing widespread flooding and mudslides across the island’s central and eastern regions.
After passing near or over Jamaica, Melissa is expected to continue west-northwest, threatening eastern Cuba, the southern Bahamas, and the Turks and Caicos Islands by mid-week. These areas could face strong winds, heavy rain, and coastal flooding as the storm maintains its major-hurricane strength.
Authorities across the Caribbean are urging residents to complete preparations and monitor official updates from their national meteorological agencies.
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