Hurricane Melissa pummeled southwestern Jamaica on Tuesday as a catastrophic Category 5 storm, one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record, before making landfall in Cuba early Wednesday as an “extremely dangerous” Category 3 hurricane.
Melissa now has a much larger eye, like a monster truck tire, on approach to Cuba.
A broader core replaced the compact one that the storm had over Jamaica. pic.twitter.com/efmJ3aXS8v
— Ben Noll (@BenNollWeather) October 29, 2025
Damage assessment in Jamaica will begin today, and those with Starlink connectivity on the battered island will be broadcasting the devastating aftermath of a storm that has already caused widespread electricity and internet outages, mainly in the western and central regions.
⚠️ Update: Real-time network data show the growing impact of Hurricane Melissa across #Jamaica with national connectivity down to 30% of ordinary levels; the incident is attributed to heavy winds and downed lines leaving hundreds of thousands without power and telecoms 🌀⚡ pic.twitter.com/INnBq2JpCk
— NetBlocks (@netblocks) October 29, 2025
“There is no infrastructure in the region that can withstand a Category 5,” Prime Minister Andrew Holness stated, adding, “The question now is the speed of recovery. That’s the challenge.”
Energy and Transport Minister Daryl Vaz told Sky News that eastern regions, including Kingston, were largely spared, but reports from other areas, particularly the western part of the island nation, were entirely devastated by sustained winds of 185 mph, which downed power and telecom lines.
“We’re hoping to be able to do an assessment tomorrow, but as of right now, the reports that are coming in are catastrophic,” Vaz said in an interview. “Not very much survives a Category 5 hurricane, in terms of infrastructure.”
Footage on social media shows extensive damage. Those with holiday plans to visit Jamaican resorts may want to check on the status of the resort.
#Hurricane #Melissa WRECKED portions of Montego Bay., #Jamaica. @LiveStormsMedia chaser @samdienst captured incredible video as the north and northwest eye wall came through and absolutely trashed the area ripping portions of the roof off and damaging almost everything to some… pic.twitter.com/zG5dE7AOgf
— Brett Adair (@Tornadair) October 29, 2025
BREAKING: Aftermath of monster Category 5 Hurricane Melissa in Black River, Jamaica pic.twitter.com/TkiyTMLj8R
— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) October 29, 2025
Extreme flooding from Hurricane Melissa unfolding.
High end severe weather event.
📍Santa Cruz, Jamaicapic.twitter.com/RuSuSmXzWb
— Met4Cast – UK Weather (@Met4CastUK) October 28, 2025
Vaz noted that Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston may reopen for emergency flights on Thursday, while Sangster International in Montego Bay suffered severe damage. Airports are central to Jamaica’s tourism-driven economy, and reports say some Americans are trapped on the island.
The question now is whether the $150 million catastrophe bond (cat bond) that the Government of Jamaica renewed last year will be triggered.
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