MIAMI (BN24) — Hurricane Melissa rapidly intensified into a major Category 3 storm late Saturday, threatening to unleash catastrophic flooding, landslides, and widespread damage as it churns slowly toward Jamaica and the northern Caribbean.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami said Melissa’s maximum sustained winds reached 185 kilometers per hour (115 mph) Saturday night, officially classifying it as a Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. The storm was moving west at just six kilometers per hour, a pace forecasters warned could prolong its destructive impacts across the region.
As of 11 p.m. ET Saturday, the storm’s center was located roughly 200 kilometers southeast of Kingston, Jamaica, and 455 kilometers southwest of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Hurricane warnings were issued for Jamaica, with watches in effect for parts of eastern Cuba, southern Haiti, and the Dominican Republic.
Meteorologists expect Melissa to intensify further on Sunday, potentially reaching Category 4 strength before making landfall in Jamaica early next week. The NHC warned that the slow-moving system could dump up to 1,000 millimeters of rain, nearly 40 inches, across parts of Jamaica by Wednesday, triggering “life-threatening flash flooding, catastrophic landslides, and long-duration power outages.”
Similar rainfall totals are forecast for southwestern Haiti and the southern Dominican Republic, where flash floods and landslides are already occurring. Eastern Cuba could receive up to 30 centimeters (12 inches) of rain as the storm’s outer bands sweep over the island midweek.
“Unfortunately for places along the projected path of this storm, the situation is increasingly dire,” said Jamie Rhome, deputy director of the NHC. “Melissa’s slow motion will cause a multi-day event of damaging winds, torrential rainfall, and flooding across the Caribbean.”
At least three people have died in Haiti, according to local civil protection officials, after flooding and collapsed structures in the northern regions. A fourth fatality was reported in the Dominican Republic, where one person remains missing after rivers overflowed in the Santiago and San Cristóbal provinces. Five others were injured when a wall collapsed during heavy rains in Haiti.
Floodwaters have destroyed dozens of homes in Haiti’s northeastern town of Sainte-Suzanne, where a bridge was washed away after the Rivière du Nord breached its banks. Authorities said rising river levels had cut off several communities, hampering rescue efforts and the delivery of emergency supplies.
In the Dominican Republic, officials reported that nearly 200 homes were damaged, and water supply systems were knocked out, affecting more than 500,000 residents. Downed trees, power lines, and damaged roads have left more than two dozen communities isolated by floodwaters.
In Jamaica, authorities are bracing for a direct hit. Prime Minister Andrew Holness said the government had activated more than 650 emergency shelters across the island, stocked warehouses with food and medical supplies, and prepared thousands of relief packages for rapid deployment.
“I urge Jamaicans to take this weather threat seriously,” Holness said in a televised address. “Take all measures to protect yourself, your loved ones, and your property. Do not wait until it’s too late.”
The Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority announced that all airports would close within 24 hours once hurricane conditions are imminent. Coastal evacuations are underway in low-lying communities, and residents have been advised to secure their homes and prepare for extended power outages.
The NHC reinforced those warnings Saturday evening in its key message, cautioning residents that “Jamaica preparations should be completed today. Melissa’s slow motion brings multi-day damaging winds plus heavy rainfall, catastrophic flash flooding, landslides, damage, long-duration power and communication outages, and isolation.”
Forecasters said the storm’s outer rainbands will reach the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands by early next week, possibly bringing tropical storm or hurricane conditions to the region.
Melissa is the 13th named storm of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 through November 30. The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has predicted an above-average season with 13 to 18 named storms, driven by warmer ocean temperatures and persistent atmospheric instability.
As Jamaica and neighboring nations brace for impact, emergency teams are racing to position relief supplies and restore communications in affected areas. “We’re preparing for the worst and hoping for the best,” said Ronald Delice, Haiti’s director of civil protection for the Nord-Est department. “People are scared, but we must stay vigilant.”
