They are on alert Jamaica where he is expected to hit typhoon Melissa, the strongest in the country’s history, threatening to cause devastating floods and landslides.
Packed with winds of up to 280 km/h, Hurricane Melissa is classified as a Category 5 – at the high end of the five-point Saffir-Simpson scale – and is expected to hit Jamaica today.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness warned of the risk of significant damage, particularly in the western part of the country. “I don’t think any infrastructure in this area can withstand a Category 5 cyclone, so significant damage may occur”he told CNN, urging residents to be vigilant to protect their families by evacuating areas most at risk.
However, many residents defy the instructions of the authorities and do not leave their homes. “I just don’t want to leave,” Jennifer Ramdial, a fisherman in Port Royal, a small historic town near the capital Kingston, told AFP.
“Even if it was … a Class 6, I wouldn’t have left,” said Roy Brown, a plumber and tiler, though the Saffir-Simpson scale is a five. He explained that many residents have refused to leave their homes because of the bad experience they had in the past in shelters set up by the authorities.
Hurricane Melissa began lashing Jamaica with violent gusts as the US National Hurricane Center upgraded it to a Category 5 storm packing sustained winds of up to 175 mph, the largest on record to slam into the Caribbean island https://t.co/LDNCJYTYjs pic.twitter.com/IHcv3qQplb
— Reuters (@Reuters) October 28, 2025
Hurricane Melissa has already caused four deaths in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
#BREAKING | NEWS
New video from inside the eye of the hurricane Melissa, which is now a category 5 hurricaneUSAF C-130 J Hercules (#TEAL74) has made it inside the eye and wall of the hurricane incredible video images. Jamaica is in the crosshairs. They’ve had… pic.twitter.com/eUkOpQ54DM
— Todd Paro (@tparon) October 27, 2025
The last major cyclone to hit Jamaica was Gilbert in September 1988, which killed 40 people and caused widespread devastation across the country. Since then, the island has been hit by several cyclones, most recently Beryl in July 2024. Unexpectedly strong for the time, it left at least four dead.
Made it to Treasure Beach, Jamaica, might ride out Hurricane #Melissa here. Will be LIVE in YouTube and in the RadarOmega app later! Be sure to subscribe – https://t.co/9EcPUd7a0W pic.twitter.com/yB6PrYRgTp
— Bryce Shelton (@BryceShelton01) October 27, 2025
As Hurricane Melissa loomed menacingly closer, Jamaican authorities closed the capital’s ports and international airport.
The cyclone also threatens the eastern coast of Cuba, the southern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands.