U.S. meteorologists have issued a hurricane warning for Jamaica as Tropical Storm Melissa strengthened into a hurricane and is forecast to intensify rapidly—potentially reaching Category 4 strength—before striking the island early next week.
According to the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami, the warning signals that winds exceeding 74 mph (119 kph) are expected within 36 hours. By late Saturday, Melissa’s sustained winds had climbed to 115 mph (185 kph) while the system inched westward at just 3 mph (6 kph). The storm’s center was located approximately 125 miles (200 km) south-southeast of Kingston and 280 miles (455 km) west-southwest of Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
The NHC warned that Melissa is “likely beginning a period of rapid intensification” and is poised to become a major hurricane within 24 hours. The storm could bring torrential rainfall of up to 25 inches (64 cm) across Jamaica, with similarly severe weather anticipated in southern Haiti and the Dominican Republic through Monday.
Before reaching Jamaica, Melissa has already left devastation in its wake. At least three people have died in Haiti and one in the Dominican Republic. In Haiti’s coastal city of Les Cayes, residents described the storm’s effects as “catastrophic.”
“The sea took our house. We have nowhere to go. We’re staying in the school, but we have nothing for the children to eat,” one displaced woman told the Associated Press, pleading for emergency assistance.
Nearly 200 homes were damaged in the Dominican Republic, where flooding, power outages, and landslides have isolated more than two dozen communities. Disruptions to water systems have left over 500,000 residents without supply, underscoring the storm’s far-reaching humanitarian consequences.
In anticipation of the hurricane’s arrival, Jamaican officials have announced that Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston will close at 8 p.m. Sunday, though no decision has yet been made regarding Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay.
Authorities have also prepared over 650 emergency shelters nationwide and prepositioned thousands of food packages for quick deployment.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness urged Jamaicans to remain calm but vigilant:
“Now is the time to be prepared,” he said, addressing growing anxiety among residents. “We must all act responsibly and stay safe.”
Across the Caribbean, governments are on alert. Cuba issued a hurricane watch for the eastern provinces of Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo, and Holguín. State television showed cleanup operations and fumigation efforts aimed at preventing disease outbreaks following expected flooding.
While the Caribbean braces for yet another destructive storm, Hurricane Melissa underscores the region’s increasing vulnerability to extreme weather, likely worsened by climate change and inadequate infrastructure resilience. Recurrent disasters in Haiti and the Dominican Republic highlight the social inequities that amplify the effects of natural hazards—where limited access to safe housing, sanitation, and emergency resources leaves millions disproportionately exposed.
As governments issue warnings and mobilize aid, experts stress that long-term adaptation strategies, not just crisis responses, are vital to protect Caribbean communities from the intensifying cycle of climate-driven catastrophes.
