FOLLOW US

Hurricane Melissa has strengthened rapidly in the Caribbean and could soon explode into a major Category 4 or 5 storm, according to the latest update from the National Hurricane Center (NHC). The system, which formed as Tropical Storm Melissa earlier this week, made landfall in Kingston, Jamaica, on Friday before intensifying into a full hurricane on October 25.

The NHC warns that Melissa poses “perilous threats of rain, winds, and storm surge” to the northern Caribbean islands, including Jamaica, Cuba, and Hispaniola. The forecasters are warning of a “Slow-Motion Disaster” for Jamaica and the Northern Caribbean.

Although the hurricane is expected to move northeast out of the Caribbean over the next five days, it will not directly impact the U.S. mainland.

Melania Trump and the $MELANIA Coin Controversy - USA Herald

“It’s looking quite likely we will have several days of flooding and then potentially a devastating core impact near or directly over the island,” said Andrew Hazelton, associate scientist at the University of Miami’s Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies, in an Oct. 24 post on X.

Jamaica Faces Severe Flooding and Landslides

The forecast is particularly alarming for Jamaica, where rainfall totals exceeding 24 inches, with localized amounts above 30 inches, are expected. “Melissa is evolving into a slow-motion disaster,” warned AccuWeather hurricane expert Alex DaSilva. “Millions of people are at risk of catastrophic impacts. We are increasingly concerned about the threat of a humanitarian disaster unfolding.”

Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness urged residents to prepare to evacuate flood-prone areas: “You have been given enough notice that this weather event is coming, and it could be disastrous. Take all measures to protect yourself.”

A drone video from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, showed cars navigating flooded streets as heavy rain from Tropical Storm Melissa inundated the region.

Hurricane Melissa: Record-Breaking Hurricane Season

Hurricane Melissa is the fifth hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic season, joining Erin, Gabrielle, Humberto, and Imelda. If Melissa strengthens to Category 4, it will mark the fourth storm this year to reach that intensity. According to Colorado State University researcher Phil Klotzbach, this has only happened three other times on record — in 1932, 1999, and 2010.

Historical data from the Jamaican government shows that hurricanes strike the island roughly once every 10 to 11 years. The strongest to hit in modern times, Hurricane Gilbert (1988), made landfall as a Category 3. With Hurricane Melissa threatening to exceed that intensity, meteorologists warn Jamaica could face one of its worst natural disasters in decades.