Hurricane Melissa, a storm of historic intensity, has left a devastating path across the Caribbean, prompting a preliminary estimate of $48 billion to $52 billion in total damage and economic loss, according to AccuWeather experts.
The hurricane, which made a record-breaking Category 5 landfall in Jamaica—the strongest ever recorded to hit the island—and followed with a destructive second landfall in Cuba, continues to bring life-threatening conditions to the Bahamas.
“This historic landfall left a path of catastrophic destruction where the eye of the storm crossed through western Jamaica,” said AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter. “Homes and businesses were destroyed by hours of extreme winds. Communities across the island and adjacent areas of Southern Hispaniola were flooded by torrential rainfall.”
The immense economic loss stems from widespread structural damage, flooding, and severe disruption to key sectors like tourism and business. The recovery for the hardest-hit communities in the Caribbean is projected to take “a decade or more,” according to AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva.
Melissa’s staggering statistics place it among the most powerful hurricanes in Atlantic basin history, tying Hurricane Dorian (2019) and the Labor Day storm of 1935 as the strongest recorded landfalls with maximum sustained winds of 185 mph.
After slamming into southeast Cuba with maximum sustained winds near 120 mph, Melissa is now threatening the Turks and Caicos and parts of the Bahamas. Forecasters expect 8-12 inches of rain, a storm surge of several feet, and dangerous wind gusts of 100-120 mph, with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 140 mph in the southern Bahamas.
DaSilva highlighted the danger of the Cuban landfall: “The storm surge that pushed into some of the bays and beaches may have reached 10-15 feet. Life-threatening flooding and mudslides can happen in a matter of minutes with this much rain, especially near steep terrain.”
Looking ahead, the hurricane is expected to bring rain and wind impacts to Bermuda later this week, and then to Nova Scotia at the end of the week and into the weekend. On the AccuWeather RealImpact™ Scale for Hurricanes, Melissa rated a 5 for the western Caribbean, a 3 for the Bahamas, and a 1 for Bermuda.
A Historic and Concerning Hurricane Season
Melissa’s intensity underscores a troubling trend in the Atlantic. Melissa is the third Category 5 hurricane this season, which joins 2005 as the only two years on record with three or more Category 5 storms in the Atlantic basin.
“This has been a remarkably unique hurricane season with very powerful storms,” DaSilva said, noting that Melissa was able to maintain Category 5 strength for a staggering 34 hours before hitting Jamaica. He attributes the rapid intensification to exceptionally warm waters across the Atlantic basin, providing “ample energy for storms.”
With the immediate aftermath of the storm, experts stress the need for a swift international response. “An urgent and coordinated international response is needed to help tens of thousands of people in desperate need of aid across the western Caribbean,” Porter warned. Medical care, evacuations, clean drinking water, and emergency shelter are top priorities.
“Recovery and relief operations will be extremely dangerous and challenging,” added DaSilva, cautioning that health concerns like mold, mildew, and mosquitoes will quickly become a major issue in the tropical climate.
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