Overview
- Melissa made landfall on Jamaica as a Category 5 hurricane with sustained winds near 295 km/h, in what officials describe as the strongest recorded direct hit on the island.
- The government declared a national disaster as more than 530,000 customers lost power, communications faltered, and flooding swamped districts such as St. Elizabeth, with damage reported to hospitals and bridges.
- Roughly 15,000 people took shelter as the defence forces, including reservists, were mobilized for rescue and relief, and the UN began coordinating sea shipments from Barbados with limited air deliveries planned when conditions allow.
- The storm weakened after crossing the island but remains dangerous, moving slowly toward southeastern Cuba where authorities relocated hundreds of thousands of residents and the Bahamas face next-in-line risks.
- Officials confirmed three deaths in Jamaica during preparations and at least four fatalities in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, and regional health authorities warned of secondary hazards such as crocodiles entering flooded areas.