Hurricane Melissa hits Cuba after pummeling Jamaica with record wind speeds

Hurricane Melissa was grinding across Cuba on Wednesday, weakening to a Category 2 storm, after pummeling Jamaica as one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

Hundreds of thousands of people in Cuba had been evacuated to shelters. A hurricane warning was in effect for Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo, Holguin and Las Tunas provinces as well as the southeastern and central Bahamas.

Melissa had top sustained winds of 105 mph (165 kph) and was moving north-northeast at 14 mph (22 kph) according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. The hurricane was centered 45 miles (70 kilometers) northwest of Guantánamo, Cuba, and 205 miles (335 kilometers) south of the central Bahamas.

The agency warned that preparations for the storm in the Bahamas “should be rushed to completion.”

What to know

• A record storm for Jamaica: Melissa was a Category 5 hurricane, the highest level, when it made landfall Tuesday in Jamaica. It was the strongest to hit the island since recordkeeping began 174 years ago. Melissa caused power outages, fallen trees, landslides, and heavy flooding and tore off roofs in Jamaica.
• Other Caribbean nations at risk: The NHC warned that catastrophic flash flooding and landslides also are possible in Cuba and Hispaniola, the island which Haiti and the Dominican Republic share. Cuban officials said they were evacuating more than 700,000 people from the region, including in Santiago, the island’s second-largest city.
• Rapid strengthening linked to climate change: Climate scientists have linked warming ocean temperatures to hurricanes intensifying more quickly. Abnormally warm ocean waters of about 2 to 3 degrees Celsius (3.6 to 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit) above normal helped double Hurricane Melissa’s wind speed in less than 24 hours, scientists said. Scientists said Melissa is the fourth storm in the Atlantic this year to undergo rapid intensification.

‘Several areas are under water’

Cuban authorities said some 735,000 people remain in shelters after being evacuated from their homes in the island’s eastern region.

Yanetsy Terry Gutiérrez, governor of Granma province, one of the first areas hit by the hurricane, said Wednesday morning that “several areas of the province are underwater, with the most significant impact in the municipal capital of Jiguaní.”

Officials also reported collapsed houses, blocked mountain roads and roofs blown off. The province’s reservoirs continue to overflow after being filled by heavy rains. More than 15 inches (40 centimeters) of rain was reported in the Jiguaní settlement of Charco Redondo.

Jamaica’s Santa Cruz hit by landslide

The small town of Santa Cruz in the southern Jamaican parish of St. Elizabeth was devastated by Hurricane Melissa.

A massive landslide triggered by widespread flooding blocked the town’s main roads, and streets have been reduced to mud pits. Residents swept out gallons of water from their homes as they tried to salvage whatever was left of their belongings.

“I never see anything like this before in all my years living here,” said Jennifer Small.

Fierce winds ripped off part of the roof at St. Elizabeth Technical High School, which was designated a public shelter.

“The entire hillside came down last night,” Robert James said.

‘That was hell’

Reinaldo Charon, 52, was one of the few people who ventured out in Santiago de Cuba on Wednesday morning, covered by a plastic sheet to keep dry from the intermittent rain.

“That was hell. All night long, it was terrible,” Charon said.

David Savaree, a 44-year-old mechanic, said: “I saw (Melissa) as weaker than (Hurricane) Sandy, but we have to keep going.”

Melissa tore off roofs and uprooted trees, but the extent of the damage wasn’t immediately known.

At least one person was confirmed killed in Jamaica from the storm

A tree fell on an infant in that region, Senator Abka Fitz-Henley, a state minister in the prime minister’s office, told Nationwide News Network, a local radio station.

A total of eight deaths are now blamed on the storm, including three in Haiti and one in the Dominican Republic, where another person remains missing.

Fitz-Henley said most of the destruction is concentrated in Jamaica’s southwest and northwest regions.

“Take heart. It could have been worse,” he said as he acknowledged pressing needs in that area. “I know people have suffered significant devastation.”

“We are aware of the dire straits which you find yourselves in this morning. We are moving quickly.”

Meanwhile, the disaster coordinator for Jamaica’s West Moreland parish had a stroke on Tuesday while preparing for the storm and remains hospitalized, officials said.

Jamaican officials say damage is extensive

Jamaican officials told Nationwide News Network, a local radio station, that there was extensive damage in the island’s southwestern and northwestern regions, but that the total damage is still unknown.

“There’s a total communication blackout on that side,” said Richard Thompson, acting director general of Jamaica’s Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management.

Scientists explain why Melissa is a beast among a string of monster Atlantic storms

Melissa was a beast that stood out as extreme even in a record number of monster storms spawned over the last decade in a superheated Atlantic Ocean.

Melissa somehow shook off at least three different meteorological conditions that normally weaken major hurricanes and was still gaining power as it hit, scientists said, a bit amazed.

And while more storms these days are undergoing rapid intensification — gaining 35 mph in wind speed over 24 hours — Melissa did a lot more than that. It achieved what’s called extreme rapid intensification — gaining at least 58 mph over 24 hours. In fact, Melissa turbocharged by about 70 mph during a 24-hour period last week, and had an unusual second round of rapid intensification that spun it up to 175 mph, scientists said.

“It’s been a remarkable, just a beast of a storm,” Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach said.

Storm struck Jamaica on Tuesday with top sustained winds of 185 mph (295 kph) before weakening over land

Officials in Jamaica were assessing the damage. More than half a million customers were without power late Tuesday as officials reported that most of the island had downed trees, power lines and extensive flooding.

Extensive damage was reported in parts of Clarendon in the south and in the southwestern parish of St. Elizabeth, which was “under water,” said Desmond McKenzie, deputy chairman of Jamaica’s Disaster Risk Management Council.

The storm damaged four hospitals and left one without power, forcing officials to evacuate 75 patients, McKenzie said.

The government said it hopes to reopen all of Jamaica’s airports as early as Thursday to ensure quick distribution of emergency relief supplies.

The storm was already blamed for seven deaths in the Caribbean, including three in Jamaica, three in Haiti and one in the Dominican Republic, where another person remains missing.

Hurricane Melissa churns across Cuba as a Category 3 storm

Hurricane Melissa was grinding across Cuba on Wednesday as a Category 3 storm after pummeling Jamaica as one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

Hundreds of thousands of people in Cuba had been evacuated to shelters. A hurricane warning was in effect for Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo, Holguin and Las Tunas provinces as well as the southeastern and central Bahamas.

Melissa had top sustained winds of 105 mph (165 kph) and was moving north-northeast at 14 mph (22 kph) according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. The hurricane was centered 45 miles (70 kilometers) northwest of Guantánamo, Cuba, and 205 miles (335 kilometers) south of the central Bahamas.

The agency warned that preparations for the storm in the Bahamas “should be rushed to completion.”

Blocked roads and severe flooding seen across Jamaica

Desmond McKenzie, deputy chairman of Jamaica’s Disaster Risk Management Council, noted that extensive damage was reported in the southwestern parish of St. Elizabeth, which he said “is under water.”

He said severe damage also was reported in parts of Clarendon in southern Jamaica.

Almost every parish in the country is experiencing blocked roads, fallen trees, damaged utility poles and excessive flooding, McKenzie said.

He said four main hospitals are damaged, with the storm knocking out power to one of them, forcing officials to evacuate 75 patients.

At least 3 families trapped and unable to be rescued until conditions improve, officials say

Floodwaters trapped at least three families in their homes in the community of Black River in western Jamaica, and crews were unable to help them because of dangerous weather conditions, said Desmond McKenzie, deputy chairman of Jamaica’s Disaster Risk Management Council.

“Roofs were flying off,” he said. “We are hoping and praying that the situation will ease so that some attempt can be made to get to those persons.”

McKenzie said there are no confirmed reports of deaths and stressed that it was too early to talk about the extent of the damage because the storm was still pummeling the island.

Miami Heat donates $1 million to help with recovery efforts

The Miami Heat has donated $1 million to the humanitarian organization Direct Relief to assist with Hurricane Melissa recovery efforts, according to an NBA statement.

The donation is being made in partnership with the Micky and Madeleine Arison Family Foundation and Carnival Corporation & plc. The three organizations have given more than $17 million to Direct Relief’s crisis response since 2013.

“In Florida, we are all too familiar with the widespread devastation caused by a Category 5 storm,” Eric Woolworth, president of The Heat Group’s business operations, said in a statement. “Direct Relief provides life-saving and ongoing assistance, which is so critical as residents begin the long road to rebuilding their communities.

”Direct Relief will help sustain healthcare access after the storm and support Jamaica health facilities, many of which are in coastal and low-lying areas, a spokesperson for the nonprofit told The Associated Press. It is also prepositioning medical supplies for Cuba.

Hurricane Melissa is among the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes on record

Hurricane Melissa is now among the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes on record.

The monster storm strengthened Tuesday before hitting Jamaica, bringing with it maximum sustained winds of 185 mph (295 kph). It’s the strongest Atlantic hurricane to make landfall since Hurricane Dorian battered the Bahamas in 2019.

Here’s a look at the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record:

Hurricane Allen

The most powerful Atlantic storm in terms of wind speed, Hurricane Allen killed more than 200 people in Haiti before swooping into Texas in 1980. It’s highest sustained winds reached 190 mph (305 kph) but slowed before it hit land.

Hurricane Melissa

The storm came ashore Tuesday in Jamaica as one the strongest Atlantic hurricanes in history. Its 185 mph (295 kph) sustained winds tied a record for the strongest speeds by an Atlantic storm while making landfall.

Hurricane Dorian

The most intense hurricane to hit the Bahamas on record, more than 70 people died in the 2019 storm that packed 185 mph (295 kph) winds.

Hurricane Wilma

This 2005 storm rapidly intensified, with winds topping out around 185 mph (295 kph). It slammed into Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula before hitting South Florida, where it carved a wide path of destruction.

Hurricane Gilbert

Hurricane Gilbert first made landfall in Jamaica and tore through the Caribbean in 1988 before slamming into Mexico, where 200 people died. At its peak, winds reached 185 mph (295 kph).

Labor Day hurricane

This unnamed storm in 1935 remains one of the most powerful hurricanes to hit the U.S. It devastated the Florida Keys and left damage along the Atlantic Coast. Its winds were measured at 185 mph (295 kph).

Hurricane Milton

Weeks after Hurricane Helene, this storm tore up the Gulf Coast of Florida last October and swept across the state. Warm water fueled its rapid intensification as its winds briefly reached 180 mph (290 kph).

Hurricane Irma

The storm packing winds of 180 mph (290 kph) caused more than an estimated $700 million in damage across Puerto Rico and knocked power out to more than a million people in 2017.

Hurricane Rita

Weeks after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005, this storm with winds reaching 180 mph (290 kph) ripped through southwestern Louisiana. It caused more than $11 billion in damage.

Hurricane Mitch

The catastrophic storm in 1998 set off mudslides and floods that left more than 11,000 dead, mostly in Honduras and Nicaragua. The hurricane hit the coast of Central America with winds at 180 mph.