HAVANA, CUBA — Hurricane Melissa, once one of the most powerful storms in Atlantic history, continued to churn through the Caribbean on Wednesday, weakening to a Category 2 system after ravaging Jamaica and causing deadly flooding in southern Haiti.
According to the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami, Melissa’s sustained winds dropped to 105 mph (165 kph) as it moved north-northeast at 14 mph (22 kph). By late Wednesday morning, the hurricane was positioned about 45 miles northwest of Guantánamo, Cuba, and roughly 205 miles south of the central Bahamas.
Officials warned that despite its weakening, the storm remained dangerous. Cuba placed hundreds of thousands of residents in shelters, and hurricane warnings remained in effect for the eastern provinces of Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo, Holguín, and Las Tunas, as well as parts of the southeastern and central Bahamas.
“Preparations in the Bahamas should be rushed to completion,” the NHC said, as the storm’s outer bands began lashing the island chain with high winds and torrential rain.
Jamaica Counts Its Losses After Record-Breaking Winds
On Tuesday, Jamaica endured the full fury of Melissa as it made landfall as a Category 5 hurricane with sustained winds of 185 mph (295 kph), the strongest storm ever recorded to strike the island directly. Government officials said that while the nation’s water systems “held up well,” telecommunications infrastructure suffered significant damage.
“For the most part, our water systems held up quite well,” a government spokesperson said at a Wednesday press briefing. “But our telecom networks were hit hard. Many families in western Jamaica still can’t reach loved ones.”
To help restore communications, Starlink terminals provided by Elon Musk’s company have been activated and made available free of charge in the worst-hit regions. Power restoration is another challenge; an estimated 77% of Jamaica remains without electricity, even as the government issued an “all-clear” notice, allowing utility crews to begin recovery operations across the island.
Western Jamaica, particularly Manchester Parish and the city of Santa Cruz in St. Elizabeth Parish, bore the brunt of the storm’s impact, with entire neighborhoods flattened and roads rendered impassable.
Tragedy in Haiti: River Flooding Kills 25
In neighboring Haiti, authorities confirmed that at least 25 people were killed in the southern port city of Petit-Goâvewhen a swollen river burst its banks after days of relentless rain. Mayor Jean Bertrand Subrème described the situation as “overwhelming,” noting that several homes had collapsed and many residents were still trapped.
“We urgently need help from the government,” he said, as the country continues to battle both storm damage and rampant gang violence that have hampered relief efforts. The region endured more than a week of heavy rainfall, with some areas receiving over 12 inches (30 centimeters) of rain, according to meteorological estimates.
Melissa Heads for the Bahamas
By midday Wednesday, Melissa had moved off Cuba’s northern coast and entered the Atlantic Ocean for the first time. Though weakened, the hurricane continued to produce torrential rainfall and hurricane-force winds across eastern Cuba.
Meteorologists warned that the Bahamas would be next in its path, with the storm expected to pass between Long Island and Crooked Island later Wednesday afternoon or evening.
Hurricane warnings were in effect for the central and southeastern Bahamas, while the Turks and Caicos Islands were under a tropical storm warning.
Residents across the island chain were urged to stay indoors and prepare for widespread power outages and potential storm surges.
A Trail of Destruction Across the Caribbean
Melissa’s destruction began in Jamaica, where its 185 mph winds made it one of the most intense Atlantic hurricanes ever recorded, before cutting diagonally across the island from St. Elizabeth Parish in the south to St. Ann Parish in the north.
In Cuba, where the storm made landfall early Wednesday, mass evacuations and infrastructure damage have been reported, with images from Santiago de Cuba showing families salvaging belongings from the rubble of destroyed homes.
Despite its downgrade, the storm remains a formidable system as it heads into the open Atlantic, leaving a swath of destruction, disrupted communications, and widespread humanitarian needs in its wake.
Reporting adapted from the Associated Press, CNN, and the U.S. National Hurricane Center.
