Hurricane Melissa devastates Jamaica, Cuba

Hurricane Melissa, a powerful Category 5 storm, made landfall in Jamaica on October 28, 2025, causing catastrophic damage, extensive infrastructural destruction, and an estimated $22 billion in economic losses. It then moved across southeastern Cuba as a Category 2 hurricane, bringing damaging winds, flooding rains, and dangerous storm surge. The storm has caused at least seven fatalities across the Caribbean, with Haiti and the Dominican Republic also experiencing severe flash flooding and landslides. The United States — National Hurricane Center has issued warnings for Jamaica, Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, The Bahamas, and the United Kingdom — Turks and Caicos Islands, with United Kingdom — Bermuda also on watch. While United States — Florida and the U.S. East Coast are not expected to face direct impacts, the event underscores the significant financial and human cost of major hurricanes in the region.