Hurricane Melissa has left a path of destruction across island nations in the northern Caribbean with many parts of Jamaica destroyed and communities in Haiti and parts of south eastern Cuba devastated by catastrophic flash flooding and hurricane force winds.

Published 1 month ago, updated 5 hours ago

For updates if intending to visit Jamaica – see Jamaica Travel Alerts for information.

Update Friday October 31

Devastation and destruction for Jamaica, Cuba and Haiti

Hurricane Melissa has left hundreds of thousands of people without power, ripped roofs of buildings, scattered fields with rubble and flooded communities across Jamaica, Cuba and Haiti.

When Melissa came ashore in Jamaica as a Category 5 hurricane with top winds of 295km/h on Tuesday October 28, it tied strength records for Atlantic hurricanes making landfall, both in wind speed and barometric pressure. It was still a Category 3 hurricane when it made landfall again in eastern Cuba early Wednesday October 29.

A hurricane warning remained in effect on Friday October 31 for Bermuda.  Hurricane conditions were expected to last through the night in the southeastern Bahamas.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) warned of coastal flooding from storm surge was possible in areas of onshore winds for Bermuda.

Swells generated by Melissa were expected to continue to affect portions of Hispaniola, Cuba, the Bahamas, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and Bermuda during the next couple of days. These swells were expected to reach the coast of the Northeastern United States and Atlantic Canada on Friday October 31 and persist into the weekend – with the potential to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.

According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC),  Melissa had weakened to a Category 2 storm with top sustained winds near 155km/h and is moving north-northeast at 33km. The NHC said that after Melissa becomes post-tropical, a brief period of heavy rain and gusty winds is possible over the southern Avalon Peninsula of the Canadian province of Newfoundland on Friday evening.

This article by the NY Times has excellent photographs and videos showing the terrible aftermath of Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica.

Jamaica Aid Links

HopeFleet has mobilized to bring aid to Jamaica – with Port Antonio relatively untouched and an open dock with transport to other areas of the island. HopeFleet harnesses the power of the yachting community to deliver relief supplies after extreme weather events. Boaters in the affected area are needed.

Find out how you can get involved: https://hopefleet.org/hurricane-melissa

If you’d like to donate to support rescue, relief, and recovery efforts in the Caribbean, you can donate at the following official links:

• UNICEF
• Jamaican government relief
• United Way Disaster Relief and Recovery
• Community Organized Relief Effort (CORE)
• Rotary Club of the Caribbean Plus
• Rotary District 7020 – DNA-RAG

Caribbean Compass also have published a list of ways you can help: Hurricane Melissa Relief: Recommended Donation & Aid Resources – Caribbean Compass

Update Tuesday 28 October

Hurricane Melissa has struck south-western Jamaica, becoming the most powerful storm the country has faced in modern times. Currently a category four hurricane, it’s bringing winds of up to 150 mph (240 km/h) after earlier battering the coast with even stronger gusts reaching 185 mph. Authorities are warning of storm surges rising nearly 13 feet (about 4 meters) above ground level, along with massive, dangerous waves. Power outages have already affected about a third of the island, and officials caution that conditions are expected to deteriorate further.

Jamaica to Bear Brunt of Hurricane Melissa

Update from National Hurricane Center Monday October 27 0200 EDT

Hurricane Melissa has strengthened into a powerful category 4 hurricane threatening days of catastrophic winds and rain in the northern Caribbean.

Melissa was centred about 125 miles (205km) south-southwest of Kingston, Jamaica, and about 310 miles (495km) south-southwest of Guantánamo, Cuba, on Sunday night. It had maximum sustained winds of 145mph (230km/h) and was moving west at 5mph (7km/h), the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said. It could reach Category 5  strength on Monday with winds greater than 157mph (250km/h).

The combination of rapid intensification and snail-paced advancement is a recipe for a catastrophic, record-breaking natural disaster said NHC forecasters.   The NHC warned that extensive damage to infrastructure, power and communication outages and the isolation of communities in Jamaica were to be expected.

The NHC said that on the forecast track, the core of Melissa was expected to move near or over Jamaica on Monday and Tuesday, across southeastern Cuba Tuesday night, and
across the southeastern Bahamas on Wednesday.

Update from the National Hurricane Center Saturday October 25 2pm EDT

Jamaica is expected to receive the worst of Hurricane Melissa with extreme rainfall, wind damage and storm surge. Melissa could make landfall on Jamaica late Monday or early Tuesday. Haiti is also at risk of destructive floods and landslides.  A hurricane warning is effect for Jamaica, where strong winds are expected to begin tonight. Southern Haiti is under a hurricane watch.

Hurricane Watch and Tropical Storm Warning

The US National Hurricane Center has issued a Hurricane Watch and Tropical Storm Warning for Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica as Tropical Storm Melissa continues slowly churning through the Caribbean before strengthening into a Hurricane this weekend.

A National Hurricane Center (NHC) advisory issued at 0200 EDT Friday October 24 reported that Tropical Storm Melissa was situated in the Caribbean Sea, 150 miles southeast of Kingston Jamaica and 270 miles southwest of Port Au Prince Haiti.

The Advisory said “Melissa is expected to move closer to Jamaica and the southwestern portion of Haiti during the next couple of days. Gradual strengthening is forecast over the next day or so, followed by rapid intensification this weekend.  Melissa is forecast to become a hurricane by Saturday and a major hurricane by the end of the weekend.

“The storm has been crawling and moving erratically,” the NHC said.  Melissa was expected to remain over open water, but move closer to Jamaica and south-western Haiti.

Storm Surge and High Surf

The NHC warned coastal flooding was likely along the coast of Jamaica by Saturday in areas of onshore winds as tropical storm conditions begin to reach the area. “However, there is a potential risk of a more significant storm surge, especially along the south coast of Jamaica, early next week. Due to Melissa’s slow motion and large forecast uncertainty, it is still too soon to know exactly how high the storm surge could reach.”

Swells generated by Melissa are expected to affect portions of Hispaniola, Jamaica, and eastern Cuba during the next several days.

Rapid Intensification Possible

The Accuweather website is reporting that the exceptionally warm waters (in the Caribbean), reaching hundreds of feet deep, will act like jet fuel — providing extra energy for Melissa, according to  AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva.   “The warmest water in the Atlantic basin is in the central Caribbean, in the direct path of this storm. Rapid intensification into a Category 5 hurricane is not out of the question this weekend, he said.

“The storm and eventual major hurricane’s slow movement means many hours of torrential rain, intense winds and erosive surf.  A foot of rainfall or more could cause catastrophic flooding across parts of Jamaica, Cuba, Haiti and the Dominican Republic, depending on the exact track of Melissa.  People in the path of this storm need to prepare for the risk of catastrophic impacts.”

13th Named Storm

Melissa is the 13th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season and the first named storm to form in the Caribbean this year. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) had predicted an above-normal season with 13 to 18 named storms. Of those, five to nine were forecast to become hurricanes, including two to five major hurricanes, which pack winds of 111mph or greater.  The Atlantic hurricane season runs from 1 June to 30 November.

…………………………………

Related News:

• Haiti, Jamaica, Cuba pick up the pieces after Hurricane Melissa (1News NZ)
• Melissa Becomes a Hurricane – Expected to Rapidly Intensify (CNN)
• National Hurricane Center TS Melissa Advisory
• New Troubling Tendency for Atlantic Storms (CNN)
• Tropical Storm Melissa May Reach Category 5 (Accuweather)
• Tropical Storm Melissa Lumbers Through the Caribbean (The Guardian)
• NOAA Predictions for 2025 Atlantic Hurricane Season

…………………………………

Related Links:

• National Hurricane Center
• Noonsite Weather Resources

…………………………………

This content was compiled by Noonsite from various sources.

If you have found this information useful, become a paid member to enjoy unlimited use of Noonsite plus many other perks. Your membership fees really help our small, dedicated team keep country information up-to-date in support of cruisers worldwide. Find out more about Noonsite Membership levels and benefits here.

Subscribe to our FREE monthly newsletter: https://www.noonsite.com/newsletter/