Hurricane Melissa weakens to Category 1 storm over Bahamas

The people of northern Caribbean came to terms with the devastation left behind by Hurricane Melissa on Thursday, as the death toll from the record-breaking storm continued to rise.

In Jamaica, where the then Category 5 hurricane made landfall on Tuesday, at least four people were confirmed dead and tens of thousands remained in shelters.

"The devastation is enormous," Jamaican Transportation Minister Daryl Vaz said. Many islanders were rendered homeless and 77% of Jamaica is without power. Relief flights have begun arriving with food and water, as well as other supplies.

In Haiti, officials reported at least 25 deaths and 18 missing after catastrophic flooding, mostly in the country's south. More than 11,000 people remain displaced.

Haiti's Civil Protection Agency said the dead in Petit-Goave included 10 children.

Steven Guadard, a resident of Petit-Goave, said the storm killed his entire family. "I had four children at home: a 1-month-old baby, a 7-year-old, an 8-year-old and another who was about to turn 4," he said.

In Cuba, the military joined efforts to rescue people. Authorities said over 735,000 residents were evacuated. There were no reports of fatalities, but there images from the scene showed extensive damage to homes, crops, and power lines after the Category 3 hurricane.

Melissa is currently over the Bahamas, the live weather and hurricane tracking site Zoom Earth shows.

Melissa was downgraded to a Category 1 storm on Wednesday afternoon but is still predicted to bring a dangerous storm surge.

"Hurricane conditions, life-threatening storm-surge, and heavy rainfall" is expected across portions of the Bahamas on Thursday evening, according to the latest briefing by the US National Hurricane Center in Miami.

The advisory warns that the storm could generate storm surges of up to 7 feet (2 meters) and flash floods in the southeastern Bahamas. 

Residents in the Bahamas should remain sheltered, the advisory says.

Flooding triggered by Hurricane Melissa has left at least 20 people dead and 10 others missing in Haiti, authorities said.

The mayor of the southern Haitian coastal town of Petit-Goave, Jean Bertrand Subreme, told The Associated Press that 25 people had died after La Digue river burst its banks and flooded nearby homes. 

"I am overwhelmed by the situation," Subreme said as he pleaded with the government to help rescue victims.

Dozens of homes collapsed and people were still trapped under rubble as of Wednesday morning, he added.

Emmanuel Pierre, Haiti's civil defense agency chief, told the AFP news agency that 10 children were among those who died in river floods. Emergency responders were conducting searches for the missing, Pierre added.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said Wednesday that Hurricane Melissa had caused "extensive damage" after making landfall overnight on the island’s southern coast.

Diaz-Canel said in a post on social media that it had been "a very difficult early morning" and warned that the storm was still over Cuban territory. He urged citizens to remain cautious, maintain discipline, and stay safely sheltered.

The storm, which has been downgraded to Category 2, was expected to generate a

Storm surges of up to 3.6 meters (12 feet) were expected in eastern Cuba even as the storm was downgraded to Category 2. 

Hurricane Melissa has swept across Cuba as a Category 3 storm, triggering severe flooding and forcing the evacuation of more than 735,000 people after tearing through Jamaica, according to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC).

Videos on social media showed residents wading through knee-deep water as streets turned into rivers across southeastern Cuba. The NHC said the "extremely dangerous" hurricane made landfall early Wednesday in Santiago de Cuba province and warned of catastrophic flash floods and landslides.

Melissa, with sustained winds of 165 kph (105 mph), has been moving north-northeast at 22 kph. Hurricane warnings remained in effect for the provinces of Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantanamo, Holguin, and Las Tunas, as well as parts of the Bahamas.

Officials in Cuba have warned that Hurricane Melissa could worsen the country's severe economic crisis, which has already caused widespread power outages along with fuel and food shortages.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said in a televised address that authorities expected significant destruction, adding that there would be "a lot of work to do" in the aftermath. He said no resources were being spared to protect lives and that "no one is left behind."

Diaz-Canel urged citizens not to underestimate the storm, describing Melissa as "the strongest ever to hit national territory."

United States President Donald Trump said the US will help Jamaica with Hurricane Melissa, after the Caribbean Island nation was battered by one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes in history.

 "We're watching it closely, and we're prepared to move," Trump said. "I've never seen that before. I guess it can get that high, but I've never seen it," he said.

Jamaican authorities reported extensive damage in parts of Clarendon in southern Jamaica and in the southwestern parish of St. Elizabeth, which was described as "under water." The storm also damaged four hospitals, leaving one without power.

Hurricane Melissa weakened and has reached Cuba as a major storm early Wednesday after pummeling Jamaica.

According to Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel more than 700,000 people have been evacuated.

Forecasters warned that the now Category 3 storm could cause catastrophic damage in Santiago de Cuba and surrounding areas.

Hurricane warnings were issued for the provinces of Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantanamo, Holguin, and Las Tunas, as well as parts of the southeastern and central Bahamas.

The US National Hurricane Center said Hurricane Melissa restrengthened to a Category 4 storm as it picked up speed over the Caribbean Sea and approached eastern Cuba.

It took the storm hours to cross Jamaica. This land passage diminished its winds, dropping it to a Category 3 — down from the maximum Category 5 — before it ramped back up to a Category 4.

Meanwhile, Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness declared the island a "disaster area," and authorities warned residents to shelter in place due to the continued risk of flooding and landslides as dangerous weather persisted, even after the worst of the hurricane had passed.

Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica and has been downgraded to a Category 4 hurricane.

With wind speed reaching 295 kilometers per hour, it is the strongest-ever storm to directly hit the Caribbean nation of 2.8 million people.

US weather officials said the center of Hurricane Melissa moved off Jamaica on Tuesday afternoon and headed for Cuba.

"Life-threatening storm surge and damaging winds are likely to begin later today" in eastern Cuba, the National Hurricane Center said in its latest advisory. 

Melissa is forecast to make landfall on the Communist-run island in the early hours of Wednesday.

Melissa is losing some strength, but it remains an "extremely dangerous" hurricane as it's moving across northwestern Jamaica, according to the US National Hurricane Center.

As of 16:00. ET (20:00 UTC), Melissa is a Category 4 hurricane with winds of 150 mph (240 km/h). 

Jamaican health officials warned residents to stay alert for crocodiles that may have been displaced by Hurricane Melissa.

"Rising water levels in rivers, gullies, and swamps could cause crocodiles to move into residential areas," posted the South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA) on Instagram.

"Residents living near these areas are therefore advised to remain vigilant and avoid flood-waters," it added. 

Here are some of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record:

Hurricane Allen (1980)

The strongest Atlantic storm ever recorded by wind speed, Hurricane Allen claimed over 200 lives in Haiti before moving toward Texas in 1980. Its sustained winds peaked at 190 mph (305 km/h) but weakened before landfall.

Hurricane Melissa (2025)

Crashing into Jamaica with 185 mph (295 km/h) winds, Melissa tied the record for the strongest speeds by an Atlantic storm while making landfall.

Hurricane Dorian (2019)

Dorian devastated the Bahamas as the strongest hurricane ever to strike the country, packing sustained winds of 185 mph (295 km/h).

Hurricane Wilma (2005)

Wilma rapidly intensified into a Category 5 storm and reached estimated sustained winds around 185 mph (295 km/h). It slammed into Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula before striking South Florida.

Hurricane Gilbert (1988)

Gilbert reached sustained winds of 185 mph (295 km/h) and set the then-record lowest pressure in the Atlantic, leaving a trail of destruction across Jamaica and Mexico.

Roughly 6,000 people in Jamaica were sheltering in 382 emergency centers as Hurricane Melissa slammed into the island Tuesday, according to authorities.

Despite repeated evacuation warnings, Desmond McKenzie, deputy chairman of Jamaica's Disaster Risk Management Council, expressed concern that few residents in high-risk areas such as Saint Elizabeth Parish in the south were using the shelters.

Officials estimate that more than 50,000 people may need to temporarily leave their homes due to the storm's destruction.

The Jamaican government has launched a website called Support Jamaica to provide residents with up-to-date information.