Hurricane Melissa heads for Cuba after Jamaica’s record landfall

Hurricane Melissa, which struck Jamaica as the strongest storm on record to hit the island, curved toward eastern Cuba on Wednesday with major hurricane strength. The US National Hurricane Center said Melissa made landfall in southwestern Jamaica with sustained winds near 185 mph, well above the Category 5 threshold, before weakening slightly as it moved away. Authorities in Cuba ordered roughly half a million people to move to higher ground, bracing Santiago de Cuba and surrounding provinces for damaging winds, storm surge and flooding. In Jamaica, officials reported widespread power outages affecting more than 500,000 customers and extensive damage in St Elizabeth, where floodwaters left communities "underwater." A hospital in the parish lost power and sustained structural damage, according to local officials. Prime Minister Andrew Holness, speaking after the storm passed, said the government had not confirmed any storm-related fatalities but warned that losses could mount as rescue workers gained access to cut-off areas. Local reports referenced several deaths during preparations and early impacts. Aid organizations said as many as 1.5 million Jamaicans could be directly affected and flagged urgent needs for food, fuel and farm supplies. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel urged residents to obey evacuation orders as the cyclone’s core shifted north-eastward toward Santiago de Cuba. In the Bahamas, evacuations were ordered in southern islands ahead of the storm’s projected path. Farther east, Hispaniola endured days of torrential rain that authorities said caused multiple fatalities. Meteorologists called Melissa a once-in-a-generation event for Jamaica, with the World Meteorological Organization describing it as the island’s "storm of the century." AccuWeather ranked the cyclone among the Caribbean’s most intense on record. Slow forward motion raised the risk of prolonged wind and surge damage, while Jamaica readied emergency funds and insurance lines to support recovery in hard-hit agricultural zones.