Melissa wreaks havoc in Jamaica and Cuba
Hurricane Melissa hit Jamaica as a Category 5 hurricane, but was downgraded to Category 3 upon arrival in Cuba
Hurricane Melissa hit Cuba’s eastern provinces overnight, leaving widespread destruction, isolated communities, flooded homes and severe damage to critical infrastructure.
The powerful storm eventually weakened but continued to generate unstable conditions in the eastern part of the island, where communities dealt with the fallout as it moved northeast.
On Wednesday morning, the Cuban Meteorological Institute located the center of the system about 35 kilometers north of Punta Lucrecia, in the province of Holguín. Melissa was moving northeast at 22 km/h with sustained winds of 155 km/h (category 2, according to a previous report), and continued to cause heavy rain and gusty winds. The main impact of the storm was caused by torrential rain, concentrated in Holguín, Santiago de Cuba and Guantánamo.
A total of 69 rainfall stations recorded accumulations exceeding 100 millimeters, with seven stations exceeding 300 millimeters. The rains caused widespread flooding in urban and river areas, as well as landslides in mountainous areas.
On the north coast, storm surges reached between 4 and 6 meters, with peaks of up to 7 meters in parts of Holguín and Las Tunas, causing moderate to severe coastal flooding. Although waves began to subside on the south coast, damage remained severe in Granma, Santiago de Cuba and Guantánamo, where numerous communities were left without electricity or road access.
Melissa was expected to move toward the Bahamas and Bermuda, although residual moisture would continue to fuel rain and thunderstorms in Cuba for the rest of the day.
In the hours before Melissa’s impact, the province of Granma carried out the preventive evacuation of approximately 100,000 people. Yanetsy Terry Gutiérrez, vice-president of the Provincial Defense Council, confirmed the safe transfer of 850 high-risk residents and warned about the inevitability of the storm’s arrival: “This is not a prediction, it is a near fact”, he emphasized.
In the provincial capital, Bayamo, 14 protection centers were created in educational institutions, housing more than 2,000 people. Another 10,000 sought shelter with family and friends.
Furthermore, authorities were forced to carry out preventive releases from the Corojo dam, which caused the Bayamo River to flood. Rescue and Rescue Brigades were deployed on the banks to prevent incidents.
Given the forecast of widespread damage, Advanced Brigades from the electrical company Etecsa were sent to coastal municipalities.
Melissa hit Jamaica on Tuesday as a Category 5 hurricane, one of the most powerful ever recorded in the Atlantic basin, prompting the prime minister to declare the country a disaster area. After hitting Jamaica with dangerous winds and flooding, Melissa made landfall in Cuba for the second time as a Category 3 hurricane on Wednesday morning. It was later downgraded to a Category 2 storm as it moved away from the Cuban archipelago.
Jamaica’s Ministry of Health and Wellbeing has issued an urgent appeal for blood donations as supplies are critically low due to disruption caused by the hurricane. The National Blood Transfusion Service has urged the public to donate at available centers such as the Kingston Blood Bank once it is considered safe to travel.
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