Hurricane Melissa Intensifies

Hurricane Melissa has regained intensity, strengthening back into a Category 4 system as it moves north toward Cuba, after a historic strike on Jamaica that ranks among the most powerful hurricanes ever recorded in the Atlantic.

Authorities in Jamaica have started assessing widespread destruction across the island, with reports of extensive damage to homes, hospitals, and schools,especially in the southwest. Prime Minister Andrew Holness declared the nation a disaster zone on Tuesday, following Melissa’s devastating landfall.

The hurricane has already caused seven fatalities throughout the region, three in Jamaica during preparations, three in Haiti, and one in the Dominican Republic.

As of early Wednesday, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Melissa had eased slightly to a Category 3 hurricane, packing sustained winds of 125 mph and positioned roughly 80 miles southwest of Guantánamo. The storm is advancing northeast at about 10 mph, with landfall on Cuba’s southern coast expected within hours.

Despite its marginal weakening, forecasters warn that Melissa remains a highly dangerous storm. Its core is projected to sweep across eastern Cuba by dawn on Wednesday before accelerating toward the southeastern and central Bahamas later in the day.

Flooding has already begun in coastal areas, and forecasters predict 10 to 20 inches of rainfall across eastern Cuba, with isolated totals reaching 25 inches. These torrential rains could spark flash floods and landslides, while storm surges up to 12 feet above normal tide levels are expected to inundate low-lying regions.

In Haiti, the storm’s outer bands are producing intense rainfall and gusty winds, prompting a red alert, the highest level of warning, according to World Vision International Haiti. Several departments remain under orange alert. Schools have been converted into temporary shelters, with UNICEF confirming that nine of 20 designated schools are currently housing nearly 2,000 displaced people.

Recovery in western Jamaica remains difficult. Roads are blocked by fallen trees and debris, leaving many communities cut off. Storm chaser Jonathan Petramala, reporting from Black River, said it was a “race against time” to reach those in need. “The longer access remains limited, the more desperate the situation becomes,” he told CNN.

Meanwhile, Cuban officials reported that more than 168,000 residents in Santiago de Cuba have been evacuated ahead of the storm’s arrival, as the province braces for the worst impacts.

The Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands are next in Melissa’s path. Although the system is forecast to weaken to a Category 2 hurricane, it will still deliver destructive winds, storm surges, and up to 10 inches of rain, raising the risk of flash flooding and landslides.

By Wednesday night, Melissa is expected to accelerate northeastward over the Atlantic Ocean, maintaining hurricane strength as it approaches Bermuda on Thursday, bringing a brief but intense period of wind and heavy rain.

Even as the storm moves away, the aftermath across the Caribbean remains severe. NetBlocks, an internet monitoring organization, reported that Jamaica’s connectivity had fallen to 30% of normal levels by late Tuesday, following extensive damage to power and communication networks.

Though Melissa will soon leave the region, its historic force and widespread destruction will leave lasting scars across the Caribbean and western Atlantic.