Overview
- The storm made landfall on Jamaica as a Category 5 with sustained winds near 295 km/h, with the NHC warning of catastrophic winds, flash floods and up to four‑metre storm surges.
- Authorities reported extensive damage, with more than 530,000 customers without power, disrupted communications and airport closures as assessments continued.
- Prime Minister Andrew Holness declared the entire island a disaster area, mobilized troops and reservists, and opened shelters that housed roughly 15,000 people.
- Confirmed fatalities include at least four deaths in Haiti and the Dominican Republic and three in Jamaica tied to storm preparations, while officials cautioned that full casualty figures are not yet known.
- Melissa weakened after crossing Jamaica and moved toward eastern Cuba and the Bahamas, with Cuba evacuating more than 735,000 people and the UN organizing sea shipments and planned airlifts of aid from regional hubs.