KINGSTON, Jamaica, October 30, 2025 (ENS) – The death toll from catastrophic Hurricane Melissa rose to at least 36 across Haiti, Jamaica and Cuba today as residents of these island nations begin to dig themselves out from under the wreckage left by the second strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Caribbean Sea.
The storm has caused flooding, landslides, fires, storm surges, power outages, and hospital evacuations across Haiti, Jamaica, Cuba and the Turks and Caicos Islands. The majority of deaths happened in Haiti due to flooding. At least 20 Haitians, including 10 children, died due to river flooding as Melissa blasted across the island.
Data from the UN aid coordination office (OCHA) shows Melissa ranks among the most intense storms to strike Cuba in recent decades, with maximum sustained winds near 138 mph (222 km/h) and two-day rainfall totals approaching 145 millimeters (5.7 inches).
On Wednesday, the UN allocated US$4 million each to Haiti and Cuba from its Central Emergency Fund to help communities prepare for the storm and reduce its impact.
Conveying his condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres reiterated his solidarity with the governments and communities affected by the hurricane.
“Guided by Resident Coordinators on the ground, the UN is working hand in hand with authorities and humanitarian partners to assess needs, assist those impacted, and prepare in areas that may yet face the storm’s impact,” the secretary-general said.
UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock is convinced that the planet’s rising temperature is to blame for increasingly destructive storms.
Baerbock tweeted that for small island developing States such as those in the Caribbean, “The climate crisis is a lived reality, and the cost of inaction is measured in lives and livelihoods. Adaptation isn’t optional, it’s survival. Solidarity must become sustained, scaled-up climate action.”
In Jamaica, Hurricane Melissa made landfall at 1 p.m. EDT Tuesday near New Hope, a community in southwestern Jamaica’s Westmoreland Parish, as a Category 5 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 185 mph.
At 3:10 a.m. EDT Wednesday, Melissa made a second landfall near Chivirico, Cuba, a coastal town 75 km (45 miles) southwest of the island’s second-largest city, Santiago de Cuba, as a Category 3 storm.
Current Situation
With maximum sustained winds of 105 mph, the hurricane is moving to the north-northeast at 21 mph as a Category 2 storm. Melissa is in the Atlantic Ocean, 605 miles southwest of Bermuda and 295 miles northeast of the Central Bahamas.
Reporting on the situation on his home island, Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness said up to 90 percent of roofs in the southwestern coastal community of Black River were destroyed.
“Black River is what you would describe as ground zero,” Dr. Holness said. “The people are still coming to grips with the destruction.”
Kingston, Jamaica’s capital, was spared the worst impact of the hurricane, but western parts of the island experienced “total devastation,” according to Jamaican Minister of Energy, Transport and Telecommunications Daryl Vaz.
“The devastation is enormous,” Transportation Minister Vaz said.
Officials warned of a “total communication blackout” in the region that took the brunt of Melissa’s winds and downpour on Tuesday.
“There is a lot of flooding around the city,” Storm Chaser Bryce Shelton told AccuWeather Tuesday evening while in Mandeville, Jamaica. “There are homes that are submerged, there are cars submerged. It is basically impossible to get out of the city.”
Approximately 6,000 people are currently in 382 shelters across the island, Jamaica’s Minister of Local Government and Community Development Desmond McKenzie reports. All of the country’s 881 shelters are now open to accommodate people after the passage of Hurricane Melissa.
Starlink, the low-earth orbit satellite service owned by Elon Musk, is offering free services for those impacted in Jamaica and the Bahamas, the company announced on X.
Airports Reopening, With Limitations
This Thursday morning, Jamaica, Cuba, and Haiti are assessing what it will take to recover from the second-strongest Atlantic hurricane ever recorded, which blasted across the region Tuesday night with high winds and more than 12 inches of rain, leaving residents without power, and closing airports.
This morning, Jamaica’s airports are reopening, but many flights are still canceled.
Jamaica’s largest airport, Sangster International Airport (MBJ) in Montego Bay, closed on Sunday ahead of Melissa’s arrival and remained closed until Wednesday when it reopened for emergency flights. Sangster technically reopened for commercial flights on Thursday, but, according to FlightAware, 86 percent of all flights from Sangster were still canceled on Thursday.
Jamaica’s Transport Minister Vaz, said that photo shows just “one section of a very large airport.”
The airport’s other concourse fared better, surviving the storm with minimal damage, and should be able to host flights either on Thursday or not far after. Both runways at Sangster are “fine,” Minister Vaz said.
Norman Manley International Airport (KIN) in Jamaica’s capital city, Kingston, reopened on Thursday at 8 a.m. for commercial flights. It had reopened for emergency and relief flights on Wednesday.
At Norman Manley, which operates a scheduled number of flights about half that of Sangster in Montego Bay, nearly half the airport’s 30 departures listed for Thursday are canceled.
Turks and Caicos Airports Open, But Flights Canceled
The “all clear” from Hurricane Melissa was issued across the Turks and Caicos Islands today at 6:00 a.m. All six airports under the Turks and Caicos Islands Airport Authority are open and operating again. Even so, more than 40 percent of departures have been canceled, and travelers are being told to check with their airline before going to the airport.
Even with the resumption of some flights, airlines are still offering flexibility for travelers scheduled to fly through Jamaican and Caribbean airports over the next few days.
Airlines Offer Waivers
American Airlines has a waiver out for travel through November 2 for L.F. Wade International Airport (BDA) in Bermuda that allows travelers to switch to new flights through November 5.
JetBlue has a waiver out for flights through both Kingston (KIN) and Montego Bay (MBJ). That waiver runs through November 8 and allows flyers to rebook their flights for travel through November 16 without penalty.
JetBlue has a separate waiver out for travel through Providenciales, Turks and Caicos (PLS) that runs through the end of October 30. Flyers can rebook their flights for travel through November 5. It also has a waiver out for L.F. Wade (BDA) that runs through October 30 and allows for travelers to change to new flights through November 7.
Southwest has a waiver out for Montego Bay (MBJ) through November 2. Travelers can rebook or travel standby within 14 days of the original ticket without penalty. It has the same waiver out for Providenciales, Turks and Caicos (PLS) for travel through November 1.
United Airlines has a waiver out for flights through Grand Cayman (GCM), Montego Bay (MBJ), Nassau (NAS), and Providenciales (PLS) for travel through Oct. 31. Travelers can change their flight to a new one through November 7 without penalty.
United has a separate waiver out for Bermuda GB (BDA) for travel starting on Oct. 30 through November 2. United is allowing travelers to change to a new flight through November 9.
United also has a last waiver out for travel through Montego Bay (MBJ), which includes all flights through that airport through November 8. Travelers can rebook on flights through November 21 without penalty.
Scams? Yes, Watch Out!
The U.S. Better Business Bureau has issued warnings about scams targeting residents and donors in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa. Dozens of false charities have created scams online. Scammers can exploit the chaos and emotions surrounding natural disasters to steal money or personal information.
The BBB list three Common Scams to Watch For:
- – Fake Charities: Fraudulent websites or social media pages mimicking legitimate disaster relief organizations.
- – AI-Generated Scams: Scammers use artificial intelligence to create convincing fake images and videos to solicit donations.
- – Crowdfunding Scams: Unverified campaigns on social media may be fraudulent. Donate only to established charities with proven disaster relief experience.
The Better Business Bureau advises, “Stay vigilant and verify organizations before donating.”
Featured image: The Lacovia St. Thomas Anglican Church in Jamaica’s St. Elizabeth parish lost its roof and its interior was smashed in the storm. The church is one of many historical cultural and religious landmarks damaged by Hurricane Melissa. October 29, 2025 (Photo posted on X by meteorologist and hurricane specialist Dylan Federico)
