Hurricane Melissa was about to enter the land of Jamaica with a category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale in an area of the southern coast of the island, where for several hours serious damage had been reported due to the strength of its winds, with gusts that set a record of 387 kilometers per hour.
According to the forecasts of the National Hurricane Center (NHC), the Caribbean island is suffering “catastrophic winds, flash floods and storm surges”, a situation that will continue during the passage of the atmospheric phenomenon over its territory.
Live view of Treasure Beach Jamaica of the intense eyewall now impacting at full strength… Listen to the sound…#Melissa pic.twitter.com/VKG3s4bB4w
—StormHQ ☈ (@StormHQwx) October 28, 2025
In images taken in various parts of the island, some damage could already be seen, such as the detachment of roofs from buildings, trees and downed electrical networks due to the force of the winds.
Hours before making contact with the island, its authorities had reported the death of three people, in events linked to the influence of the cyclonic event.
Several media outlets also reported three deaths in Haiti for the same reasons, and one in the Dominican Republic, where heavy and continuous rains were recorded.
In the Dominican Republic, rescue and rescue forces continued the search for a teenager reported missing.
The owner of a restaurant in the town of Alligator Pond, on the southwest coast of Jamaica, described scenes of panic and devastation as Hurricane Melissa already hits the area.
Evrol Christian spoke by phone with Zain Asher of cnn and he reported that the entire coast had disappeared.” “The waves reach about 4.5 meters. And with the speed of the wind, it’s like I can see the wind. “It’s incredible,” he added.
The Government of Jamaica estimates that at least 1.5 million of its inhabitants could be affected in some way by the impact of Hurricane Melissa.
Andrew Holness, Prime Minister of that nation, warned about the magnitude of the phenomenon that “there is no infrastructure in the region that can withstand a category 5. The real question is the speed of recovery.”
