Hurricane Melissa has intensified its path of destruction across the Caribbean and is now accelerating toward Bermuda, where authorities have issued hurricane warnings and suspended public services in anticipation of landfall.
According to reports from Reuters and the Associated Press, Melissa first struck Jamaica as a Category 5 storm on Tuesday, bringing sustained winds of up to 185 mph (295 km/h) — the strongest hurricane to ever directly hit the island. The storm uprooted trees, flattened buildings, and left more than 70 percent of the country without electricity.
In Cuba, approximately 735,000 residents were evacuated ahead of the hurricane’s arrival. Officials confirmed widespread flooding and infrastructure damage in the eastern provinces, while in Haiti, torrential rains triggered landslides and flash floods that have claimed at least 25 lives, mostly in the Petit-Goâve area.
Melissa has since weakened to a Category 2 hurricane with sustained winds around 105 mph (169 km/h), yet it remains a severe threat to Bermuda and the wider Atlantic region. The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) warned that the system could bring life-threatening storm surges, heavy rainfall, and hurricane-force winds to the island late Thursday into Friday.
“Residents should prepare for dangerous conditions, including flooding and power outages, as Melissa approaches,” the NHC cautioned in a statement.
Authorities in Bermuda have ordered the suspension of ferry services, closure of schools, and temporary shutdown of the causeway linking the main island to the airport. Emergency shelters have been activated as residents brace for impact.
Meteorologists note that Melissa’s explosive strengthening and slow progression across multiple islands underscore the increasing intensity of Atlantic hurricanes, a phenomenon linked to rising ocean temperatures and climate change.
Preliminary assessments put the total regional damage at over $22 billion, covering destroyed homes, collapsed infrastructure, and agricultural losses across Jamaica, Cuba, and Haiti. Relief operations are ongoing, with international aid already mobilized from the United States, Canada, and several Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member states.
Experts warn that heavy surf and coastal flooding could also affect the U.S. eastern seaboard in the coming days as the storm’s outer bands expand northward.
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