OAN Staff Katherine Mosack and Brooke Mallory
2:47 PM – Wednesday, October 29, 2025
As of Wednesday, Hurricane Melissa has killed dozens of residents and caused widespread devastation across Jamaica, Haiti, and now Cuba.
Melissa, then a Category 5 storm, made landfall on Tuesday in Jamaica with 185 mph winds, one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record. It caused a landslide that blocked the main roads of Santa Cruz in Jamaica’s St. Elizabeth parish, and more than 25,000 people in Jamaica sought shelter on Wednesday after Melissa tore roofs off of homes.
Hurricane Melissa has now claimed around 36 lives. However, no fatalities have been reported yet in Cuba, according to local officials.
Determining the death toll from a hurricane like Melissa is challenging for several reasons. Infrastructure damage, such as flooded roads, downed power lines, and destroyed bridges, often prevents rescue teams from reaching affected areas, leaving some communities completely cut off. Communication breakdowns, including disrupted phone lines, internet, and radio, also delay local reporting — while missing persons in rural or mountainous regions may not be discovered immediately.
Dana Morris Dixon, Jamaica’s education minister, announced that 77% of the island was without power on Wednesday, and officials reported “a total communication blackout.”
About 70 of the country’s 700 water systems were also damaged, according to a Jamaican government spokesperson. Utility companies are now working on restoration, and the Jamaica Constabulary Force is clearing roads of fallen trees.
Jamaica’s Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) explicitly reported that at least four people died during preparations for Hurricane Melissa, with three more deaths confirmed afterward, totaling 7 fatalities.
Additionally, at least 25 people were killed in Haiti’s southern coastal town of Petit-Goâve, according to Mayor Jean Bertrand Subrème, leading the mayor to explain that dozens of homes had collapsed when the La Digue River burst through its banks, and that people were still trapped under rubble as of Wednesday morning.
Melissa had downgraded to a Category 3 storm when it hit Cuba with winds of 120 mph, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. Nonetheless, a Category 3 storm is still considered a serious hurricane and typically results in devastating damage, including major damage to homes, uprooted trees, and power and water cuts that can last up to a few weeks.
The storm has also brought destruction to Cuba with officials reporting collapsed houses, blocked roads and roofs blown off on Wednesday. Authorities noted that about 735,000 people remained in shelters.
“That was hell. All night long, it was terrible,” said resident Reinaldo Charon.
Cuba’s already severe economic crisis, which has led to prolonged power outages, is likely to be worsened by the hurricane.
“There will be a lot of work to do. We know there will be a lot of damage,” Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said in a televised address, urging the population not to underestimate the storm.
After making landfall in Jamaica as a Category 5 storm with estimated winds of about 185 mph, Melissa has since weakened and is now tracking northeast between Cuba and the Bahamas. Despite it being no longer at peak intensity, it remains a dangerous hurricane and is forecast to damage homes, uproot trees, and cause widespread power outages.
Ahead of its arrival in the Bahamas, evacuations were still underway and flights were suspended. The U.S. has deployed a regional disaster‑response team and activated urban search and rescue units, and the U.K. has pledged £2.5 million ($3,298,750 USD) in emergency humanitarian funding.
| Country | Reported Fatalities | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Haiti | At least 25 | Includes 20–25 deaths from flooding in Petit-Goâve (river burst) plus 3 earlier storm-related deaths — 10–13 missing. Civil Protection Agency revised downward from initial estimates of 40. |
| Jamaica | At least 4–8 | 3–4 pre-landfall (preparations/trees). 4 bodies recovered post-landfall in St. Elizabeth and elsewhere. Some sources report 8 total. |
| Dominican Republic | 1 | One adult died clearing sewer debris. 1 child missing in Santo Domingo. |
| Cuba | 0 | No fatalities reported by local officials despite landfall as a Category 3 storm, widespread evacuations — 735,000+ people, and damage in Santiago de Cuba. |
| Total | ~30–36 | Excludes potential additional unconfirmed deaths. Toll expected to rise as searches continue. |
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