Hurricane Melissa Strikes Cuba After Devastating Jamaica

Hurricane Melissa made landfall over eastern Cuba near the city of Chivirico early Wednesday as a Category 3 storm, following its devastating impact on Jamaica. The Miami-based National Hurricane Center reported that Melissa was delivering damaging winds, flooding rains, and dangerous storm surges to eastern Cuba.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez announced that approximately 735,000 people were evacuated ahead of the storm. A hurricane warning was issued for the provinces of Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo, Holguín, and Las Tunas, as well as the southeastern and central Bahamas.

Melissa had top sustained winds of 120 mph upon reaching Cuba, slightly decreasing to 115 mph by 5 a.m. EDT. The storm was moving northeast at 12 mph, with its core about 60 miles west of Guantánamo, Cuba, and 230 miles south of the central Bahamas.

The National Hurricane Center warned residents of Cuba to remain sheltered and advised that preparations in the Bahamas should be rushed to completion. Melissa was forecast to weaken as it crosses Cuba but remain a powerful hurricane as it moves across the southeastern or central Bahamas later Wednesday. The storm is then expected to approach Bermuda late Thursday, where a hurricane watch is in effect.

The intense rainfall could cause life-threatening flooding and numerous landslides. Melissa struck Jamaica on Tuesday with top sustained winds of 185 mph, making it one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record. The storm was expected to generate a storm surge of up to 12 feet in the region and drop up to 20 inches of rain on parts of eastern Cuba.

The hurricane could exacerbate Cuba's severe economic crisis, which has already led to prolonged power blackouts, fuel shortages, and food shortages. President Díaz-Canel stated, "There will be a lot of work to do. We know there will be a lot of damage," assuring that "no one is left behind and no resources are spared to protect the lives of the population." He urged the population not to underestimate the power of Melissa, "the strongest ever to hit national territory."

Provinces from Guantánamo to Camagüey had already suspended classes on Monday. As Cuba prepared for the storm, officials in Jamaica began assessing the damage. Extensive damage was reported in parts of Clarendon in southern Jamaica and in the southwestern parish of St. Elizabeth, which was "under water," said Desmond McKenzie, deputy chairman of Jamaica's Disaster Risk Management Council.

The storm also damaged four hospitals and left one without power, forcing officials to evacuate 75 patients. More than half a million customers were without power as of late Tuesday, with most of the island experiencing downed trees, power lines, and extensive flooding. The government aims to reopen all of Jamaica's airports as early as Thursday to ensure the quick distribution of emergency relief supplies.

The storm has been blamed for seven deaths in the Caribbean, including three in Jamaica, three in Haiti, and one in the Dominican Republic, where another person remains missing.