In Photos: Hurricane Melissa wreaks havoc in the Caribbean
Hurricane Melissa tore across the Caribbean on Monday with ferocious Category 4 winds and torrential rain, leaving a trail of destruction and killing at least four people across Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
The powerful storm, packing sustained winds of 150 mph (241 kph), is expected to strengthen even further — potentially reaching Category 5 status — before making landfall in Jamaica, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center warned that the storm could dump up to 30 inches (76 cm) of rain on the island, with some eastern regions facing an astonishing 40 inches (1 meter).
“Catastrophic flash flooding and numerous landslides are likely,” the center warned, urging residents to prepare for a life-threatening storm surge. Western Haiti could see up to 16 inches (40 cm) of rainfall, worsening already fragile conditions there.
Melissa’s eye was located about 125 miles (205 kilometers) south-southwest of Kingston, Jamaica, on Sunday night, moving slowly west at just 5 mph (7 kph). The storm is forecast to sweep over Jamaica on Tuesday, move across southeastern Cuba later that night, and reach the Bahamas by Wednesday.
Photos emerging from Haiti and the Dominican Republic show flooded villages, collapsed roads, and widespread damage — a grim preview of what could await other Caribbean nations in Melissa’s path.
Children play in a street flooded by rains caused by Tropical Storm Melissa in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Friday, Oct. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Ricardo Hernandez)
Children play in a street flooded by rains caused by Tropical Storm Melissa in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Friday, Oct. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Ricardo Hernandez)
Palm trees are shaken by the wind, ahead of Hurricane Melissa at Hellshire Beach, in the coastal town of Hellshire, Jamaica, October 26, 2025. REUTERS/Octavio Jones
Workers board up shop windows ahead of Hurricane Melissa's forecast arrival in Kingston, Jamaica, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
Fuel pumps are covered in plastic at a gas station ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Melissa in Kingston, Jamaica, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
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