Jamaica Hit by Record-Breaking Hurricane Melissa, Toll and Damage Mount

Hurricane Melissa devastates Jamaica as a record-breaking Category 5 storm, causing widespread destruction, power outages, and fatalities (image source)

KINGSTON — Jamaica has been battered by the full force of Hurricane Melissa, which made landfall on 28 October 2025 as a catastrophic Category 5 storm with sustained winds of up to 185 mph (295 kph). The storm is now regarded as the most powerful ever to hit Jamaica, leaving major destruction, widespread power outages, and multiple deaths in its wake.

Melissa made landfall near New Hope in Westmoreland parish, tore across the island toward St Ann in the north, and battered both coastal and interior regions with storm surges reaching up to four metres. The latest official reports confirm at least three deaths, though authorities caution that full tallies will take time as many roads, bridges, and communication lines remain down.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness declared the entire country a disaster area, warning that “there is no infrastructure … that can withstand a Category 5 storm.” Power was knocked out to more than half a million customers, with St Elizabeth parish reportedly “underwater.” Flooding, roof losses, downed trees, blocked roads, and battered hospitals have been reported nationwide. Hospitals in the hardest-hit parishes are operating under emergency conditions, with generators stretched and some wards inundated. International relief agencies have warned that access to cut-off communities will be extremely difficult.

The storm’s economic toll is already immense. Southern parishes known for banana, sugar, and vegetable production have suffered extensive damage to farmlands, while export crops and rural livelihoods face devastating losses. The tourism sector—critical to Jamaica’s economy—has also been severely disrupted. Airports were shut down ahead of landfall, and many hotels sustained structural damage. Analysts warn that reconstruction costs will strain public finances and require substantial donor and international aid support.

Relief operations are underway, with the Jamaica Red Cross and global partners having pre-positioned supplies before the storm. However, aid distribution remains slow due to road blockages and power outages. Authorities have urged residents to remain in shelters and avoid unnecessary travel, citing risks of secondary crises such as water shortages, disease outbreaks, and displacement.

Meteorologists attribute Hurricane Melissa’s intensity and prolonged impact to unusually warm ocean temperatures—conditions linked to climate change. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has termed it the “storm of the century.” Experts warn that the Caribbean must prepare for more frequent and more destructive storms in the future.

In the aftermath, Jamaica’s immediate priorities include restoring electricity and water supplies, reopening hospitals, clearing major transport routes, and enabling access to isolated communities. Officials say full damage assessments may take weeks. As the storm moves toward Cuba and the Bahamas, regional coordination efforts are intensifying. For Jamaica, recovery will be long and costly, with both physical destruction and economic disruption threatening to reverse years of development progress.