Jamaica on alert as Hurricane Melissa becomes Category 5 Storm

Hurricane Melissa has strengthened into Category 5, unleashing its fury across the Caribbean as Jamaica stands directly in its path. Jamaica is now bracing for the full force of Hurricane Melissa, which has rapidly strengthened into a powerful Category 5 storm, contracting winds of 160 mph.

Hurricane Melissa is expected to bring with it catastrophic winds, torrential rainfall, and life-threatening flash floods to the island nation in the next few days.

10/27 5am EDT: #Melissa has strengthened to a Category 5 hurricane with 160 mph winds and a 917 mb central pressure, confirmed by the Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunters. Conditions in #Jamaica will rapidly deteriorate later today and tonight. Here are the key messages:

See… pic.twitter.com/pMRRQdyOqU

— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) October 27, 2025

The National Hurricane Centre (NHC) have stated that conditions in Jamaica will reportedly continue to get worse on Monday, peaking Monday night through Tuesday.

The NHC has issued hurricane warnings in effect for Jamaica and eastern Cuba, with tropical storm warnings for Haiti. Catastrophic impacts are expected in Jamaica & Haiti, with potentially catastrophic landslides for eastern Cuba. The hurricane is then forecast to move through the southeastern area of the Bahamas on Wednesday.

Authorities warn of heavy rainfall, flooding and damaging winds as Hurricane Melissa nears Jamaica

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) confirmed late Sunday that Melissa continues to intensify as it moves closer to the island, with residents urged to seek immediate shelter and be prepared for all the emergency situations.

On Monday, Hurricane Melissa is expected to bring winds and heavy rainfall in Jamaica that might cause life-threatening flash floods and landslides before potentially devastating winds arrive Monday night and Tuesday morning.

The reports are also claiming that this terrible weather is expected to bring extensive infrastructural damage, long-duration power and communication outages, and isolation of communities.

Furthermore, on Monday night and Tuesday morning, life-threatening storm surge and damaging waves are expected along portions of the southern coast.

PM Holness issues emergency contact list and preparedness alert ahead of storm impact

To help citizens better be ready Prime Minister Andrew Holness has issued a list of Parish disaster coordinators in the nation’s time of emergency. He further advised citizens to save the contacts he provided in his X post, consisting of numbers from the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM).

Know your Parish Disaster Coordinator!

In times of emergency, every second counts. Save these contact numbers from the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), your first point of contact in any disaster situation.

Be prepared. Stay safe. 🇯🇲#ODPEM… pic.twitter.com/UAo2lwTW6Y

— Andrew Holness (@AndrewHolnessJM) October 25, 2025

Other island nations under threat of Hurricane Melissa 

Haiti and the Dominican Republic are expected to suffer catastrophic and life-threatening flash flooding and landslides through the midweek as Hurricane Melissa approaches the island. In the southern part of Haiti, infrastructural damage is expected to which authorities have urged locals to isolate the communities and move to nearby shelters. Winds have temporarily decreased on the Tiburon Peninsula for now, and now it is likely to increase again in the western part of Haiti on Tuesday.

At least 3 people have died in Haiti and 1 person in the Dominican Republic, while Melissa was still a tropical storm.

NHC has advised preparations for hurricane Melissa to be rushed to completion, as a life-threatening storm surge is expected on the southern coast of eastern Cuba late Tuesday and Tuesday night in Eastern Cuba.

Damaging winds and heavy rainfall with life-threatening and potentially catastrophic flash flooding and landslides are also expected beginning on Monday.

The Southeast Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos are also advised to closely monitor Melissa as there is an increasing risk of a significant storm surge, damaging winds, and heavy rainfall that might take place on Tuesday and Wednesday.