Hurricane Melissa Creates Massive Destruction In Jamaica; Horrific Videos Of 295 kph Wind Surface

Hurricane Melissa News: Heavy floodwaters swept across southwestern Jamaica, winds tore roofs off buildings and boulders tumbled onto roads Tuesday as Hurricane Melissa came ashore as a catastrophic Category 5 storm, one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record.

Meteorologist Matthew Cappucci flew into the eye of Hurricane Melissa, the Category 5 storm that is projected to hit Jamaica.

“It was equal parts scientifically stunning and horrifying from a humanitarian standpoint,” he wrote, flying in one of two groups of hurricane hunters.… pic.twitter.com/MHTTx19WT7

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) October 28, 2025

Landslides, fallen trees and numerous power outages were reported as Melissa hit with 295 kph winds near New Hope, with officials cautioning that the cleanup and damage assessment could be slow. “There is no infrastructure in the region that can withstand a Category 5,” Prime Minister Andrew Holness said. “The question now is the speed of recovery. That's the challenge.”

Four more homes collapsed along North Carolina's Outer Banks on Tuesday, according to the National Park Service.

Eight homes have fallen into the ocean since the beginning of October, bringing the total to 26 that have collapsed since 2020. All the houses were vacant when they… pic.twitter.com/oXGpHLfSJi

— AccuWeather (@accuweather) October 28, 2025

Many families trapped 

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 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.”

Melissa made landfall near New Hope, Jamaica, at 1 p.m. EDT Tuesday as a Category 5 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 185 mph.

It was the first time an Atlantic storm made landfall as a Category 5 since Hurricane Dorian in 2019. https://t.co/ZkbuFA0Q7T pic.twitter.com/QEYkcxaiWm

— AccuWeather (@accuweather) October 28, 2025

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He noted that extensive damage was reported in the southwestern parish of St. Elizabeth, which he said “is underwater.” 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 hurricane — the strongest to hit the island since recordkeeping began 174 years ago — was still pummelling the country.

Storm is now heading towards Cuba

Rohan Brown, with Jamaica's Meteorological Service, warned that as Melissa moves off the coast, its counterclockwise rotation will bring a heavy storm surge to northern Jamaica through the night. The storm is headed toward Cuba, where it was expected to make landfall as a major hurricane early on Wednesday.

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Nearly 15,000 people were in shelters in Jamaica and some 540,000 customers, or 77 per cent, were without power, officials said. Colin Bogle, a Mercy Corps adviser, said most families were sheltering in place despite the government ordering evacuations in flood-prone communities. He was sheltering with his grandmother in Portmore, where everything went dark after a loud explosion.

“The noise is relentless,” he said. “People are anxious and just trying to hold on until the storm passes.”

(With inputs from agency)