By Riley Bennett – Kingston/Port-au-Prince — 01 November 2025
KINGSTON, Jamaica — The powerful storm Hurricane Melissa made landfall in the Caribbean on 28 October 2025 and has since begun to dissipate, leaving at least 50 people dead, widespread infrastructure damage and estimated economic losses of up to US $52 billion. The official data comes from government reports and meteorological agencies tracking the system’s aftermath.
Hurricane
Melissa struck Jamaica as a Category 5 hurricane—the most intense ever directly
recorded in the country.
Heavy
rains and flooding also battered Haiti, though not through direct landfall from
the eyewall.
The
primary source types here include government briefings (Jamaica’s Information
Ministry, local government ministers), meteorological agency advisories such as
from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in the U.S., and Reuters field
reporting.
The
story matters because it underscores not only the human costs — lives lost,
infrastructure destroyed — but also the challenges of disaster preparedness in
regions vulnerable to climate-driven storms. The financial implications for
economies heavily reliant on tourism and agriculture in the Caribbean are
profound. On the climate front, experts link the storm’s intensity to warming
ocean waters, raising broader questions about future hurricane risks.
Jamaica:
catastrophic landfall
The
storm made landfall in Jamaica near the parish of Westmoreland / St Elizabeth
as a Category 5 hurricane, with winds exceeding the threshold of 157 mph (≈ 250
km/h).
Jamaica’s
Information Minister confirmed at least 19 confirmed deaths with indications
that more may be recovered.
Some
462,000 households were reported without power.
A
north-western port town, Falmouth, was described by the local government
minister as having municipal buildings, the infirmary, roads and courthouse
destroyed.
“This
situation on the ground is what can only be described as apocalyptic,” said World
Food Programme (WFP) Caribbean director Brian Bogart after visiting Black
River.
Evacuations
and humanitarian flights were initiated, and the Jamaican military called out
reserves to assist rescue and relief operations.
Haiti:
torrential rain, deadly flooding
Although
Haiti was not directly hit by the hurricane’s eye, days of torrential rainfall
triggered rivers to burst banks, landslides and widespread flooding. At least
31 deaths were reported and approximately 20 people remain missing, according
to the transitional presidential council.
In
the southern town of Petit-Goâve, 23 deaths—including 10 children—occurred when
a river overflowed.
The
Haitian authorities also issued warnings about a cholera resurgence triggered
by contaminated floodwaters and damaged sanitation infrastructure.
Cuba:
significant damage, but no confirmed deaths
In
eastern Cuba, the storm struck as a Category 3 hurricane, with strong winds,
flooding and evacuated hundreds of thousands of people.
No
fatalities had been confirmed as of the latest reports, though thousands of
homes, roads and crops were damaged.
Economic
toll and climate implications
Forecaster
AccuWeather estimates the total economic loss across the western Caribbean at
US $48-52 billion.
Researchers
and meteorologists note that Melissa’s rapid intensification, slow movement,
and high peak intensity are consistent with patterns tied to warmer ocean
temperatures linked to greenhouse-gas driven climate change.
Many
Caribbean leaders are emphasising that while they did not cause the emissions
driving warming oceans, they bear the consequences—and are thus calling for
climate-justice support, including reparations, debt relief and aid from
heavy-polluting nations.
Forecast
and path beyond the Caribbean
By
11 a.m. Friday (1500 GMT), Melissa had been downgraded to a post-tropical
cyclone with sustained winds of 85 mph (137 kph) and was heading northeast
toward Iceland and the Faroe Islands.
While
the immediate Caribbean impact is most urgent, meteorologists will monitor the
remaining open-ocean track for any further heavy rainfall or surf effects in
the North Atlantic.
Humanitarian and recovery challenges
With
lives lost, homes destroyed and infrastructure crippled, the humanitarian
response is now critical. In Jamaica, power, communication and transport
networks were heavily damaged, complicating relief efforts. In Haiti, isolated
roads and flooding have delayed aid. In Cuba, evacuation of hundreds of
thousands creates temporary shelter challenges.
Longer-term
recovery will include rebuilding homes, hospitals and utilities; restoring
livelihoods—especially in agriculture and tourism; and strengthening resilience
to future storms. One key challenge will be funding: the large economic losses
contrast with limited fiscal capacity in many impacted countries.
Broader implications for disaster-risk reduction
Hurricane
Melissa underscores key lessons for disaster-risk management in small island
and low-lying states:
Rapid
intensification remains a major threat; preparedness windows can shrink.
Slow-moving
storms increase rainfall and flooding impacts beyond just wind damage.
Infrastructure
built decades ago may not be designed to withstand Category 5 intensity or
storm surge associated with a changing climate.
There
is growing pressure for built-in resilience, early-warning systems, and
international cooperation including climate financing.
By
Riley Bennett, CRN Times Newsroom
Date:
01 November 2025 – 12:00 GMT