Hurricane Melissa Batters Cuba After Devastating Jamaica

Hurricane Melissa continued its destructive path Wednesday, grinding across Cuba as a powerful Category 3 storm after pummeling Jamaica with record-breaking winds. According to the U.S. National Hurricane Center, Melissa packed sustained winds of 105 mph (165 kph) as it moved north-northeast toward the Bahamas.

Cuba evacuated hundreds of thousands to shelters across the eastern provinces of Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo, Holguín, and Las Tunas. President Miguel Díaz-Canel urged residents not to underestimate the storm, calling it “the strongest ever to hit national territory.” Torrential rain of up to 20 inches and storm surges reaching 12 feet are expected, threatening life-threatening floods and landslides in already fragile areas.

Melissa’s arrival deepens Cuba’s ongoing crisis marked by fuel, food, and power shortages. “There will be a lot of work to do. We know there will be a lot of damage,” Díaz-Canel said.

The storm, which struck Jamaica with 185 mph winds, has already claimed at least seven lives across the Caribbean. Melissa is projected to weaken slightly while crossing Cuba but remain a strong hurricane as it lashes the southeastern and central Bahamas later Wednesday, then near Bermuda by Thursday night.