31 October 2025
Hurricane Melissa has left a trail of destruction across Jamaica and eastern Cuba, with winds that topped 185 mph and a regional death toll that climbed as search-and-rescue teams reach cut-off communities in several countries.
On Thursday, Jamaica confronted the aftermath of what officials called the most powerful storm in its recent history, while Cuba tallied severe structural damage and widespread flooding.
Scenes from Jamaica were stark; traffic lights strewn among debris, power lines tangled with uprooted trees, neighborhoods turned into rivers.
Speaking to the BBC, Prime Minister Andrew Holness said that in some instances “there was total devastation” and that one town named Black River had been “totally destroyed”.
The United Nations said the damage was on a level “never seen before.” UN Resident Coordinator Dennis Zulu added, “I don’t think there’s any single soul on this island that was not affected by Hurricane Melissa.”
Cuba, struck hours after Melissa crossed Jamaica, also suffered extensive damage. Early reports said the storm caused severe structural and crop damage in the provinces of Santiago de Cuba and Holguín, with high seas and heavy rains bringing extensive flooding in low lying coastal areas and damage to bridges, dams, roads, and the energy supply. Authorities said some 735,000 people spent the night in shelters, underscoring the size of the emergency on the island.
Regional casualty counts continued to firm up as communications improved. The hurricane has killed at least four people in Jamaica and 27 more across the Caribbean this week, while separate tallies recorded additional deaths in Haiti and the Dominican Republic which were hard hit by flooding days before. With the storm weakening as it moved toward The Bahamas and Bermuda, officials stressed that Melissa was still a dangerous system.Aid began flowing, though logistics remain challenging. On Thursday, Jamaica’s airports started reopening to relief flights. “It will be open tomorrow at 7:00am for commercial operations, which include incoming and outgoing flights,” Transport Minister Daryl Vaz said, pledging that the recovery will begin once relief flights come. “The devastation is enormous. Words can’t describe based on my aerial tour, so we need all hands on deck,” he added.
International partners have began to mobilise. The US State Department said that it has dispatched a Regional Disaster Assistance Response Team and Urban Search and Rescue units, while NGOs moved quickly. The UN World Food Programme said it plans to deliver 2,000 emergency food boxes from Barbados.
The UK has announced emergency funding of US$3.2mn to support rapid humanitarian operations, with UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper saying, “The UK is acting swiftly to support the Jamaican authorities in providing disaster relief and expertise in response to this terrible storm.”
Jamaica’s government highlighted national resilience alongside the grim reality. Despite the difficulties the Jamaican spirit shines through as a strong reminder we are a resilient nation with the capacity to triumph over adversity,” said Prime Minister Andrew Holness while touring hard-hit St. James.“
Financial cushions are set to activate. Jamaica is set to receive a US$150mn payout from its catastrophe bond, a first-of-its-kind backstop for the island as estimates of physical damage surged. Disaster modeller Chuck Watson said Melissa caused between US$5bn and US$16bn in damage, calling it “just about the worst scenario you can imagine.”
Market analysts also flagged Jamaica’s insurance protection gap, noting that the country’s commercial take-up rate is about 30% compared to only a 10% residential take-up rate in areas like Kingston, a shortfall that will push more of the burden onto government budgets and international support. Even with insurance structures in place, macroeconomic risks loom with the potential for deep recessionary effects, pressure on banks and insurers, and a prolonged recovery.
Across the stricken zones, emergency crews faced blocked roads, downed grids, and communications blackouts. In the short term the priority across the coutries is to restore power and water, shelter displaced families, reopen schools and clinics, and restart transportation lifelines. With one month left in the Atlantic hurricane season, Hurricane Melissa is the region’s latest reminder of its vulnerabilities.
Source: Caribbean Insight – Volume 47, Issue 21