Hurricane Melissa weakens as it churns across Cuba as a Category 2 storm

Hurricane Melissa made landfall over Cuba on Wednesday as a Category 2 storm, having earlier battered Jamaica as one of the most intense Atlantic hurricanes recorded. The U.S. National Hurricane Center reported that Melissa's sustained winds reached up to 185 mph when it struck Jamaica, causing significant destruction. Tragically, at least one person died there when a tree fell on a baby in the island’s west, as confirmed by Jamaican state minister Abka Fitz-Henley. The storm's most severe damage was concentrated in Jamaica’s southwest and northwest regions. By Wednesday, Melissa had weakened but remained a powerful storm with sustained winds of 105 mph, moving north-northeast at 14 mph. It was positioned approximately 45 miles northwest of Guantánamo, Cuba, and 205 miles south of the central Bahamas. Authorities were urging rapid completion of storm preparations in the Bahamas due to expected impacts. Hundreds of thousands in Cuba had been evacuated to shelters as a hurricane warning was issued across multiple provinces including Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo, Holguin, and Las Tunas, as well as in southeastern and central Bahamas. The storm was forecasted to continue weakening as it crossed Cuba but retain strength as it moved towards the Bahamas later in the day. By late Thursday, Melissa was expected to approach or pass west of Bermuda. Meanwhile, Haiti and the Dominican Republic were also preparing for the storm’s effects. Forecasters warned of a potential storm surge up to 12 feet in the region and heavy rainfall reaching up to 20 inches in parts of eastern Cuba. The intense rain raised concerns about life-threatening flooding and landslides, compounding challenges in Cuba, where the economy is already strained by power outages, fuel shortages, and food scarcity. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel addressed the nation, emphasizing the severity of the storm, calling Melissa "the strongest ever to hit national territory." He stressed the need for vigilance and preparedness, acknowledging that the recovery ahead would be daunting. In Jamaica, however, officials faced difficulties in damage assessment due to widespread communication blackouts. Richard Thompson, acting director general of Jamaica’s Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management, highlighted that more than half a million customers were without electricity. Heavy flooding and downed trees and power lines affected much of Jamaica, especially in Clarendon and St. Elizabeth parishes. Hospital infrastructure also took a hit; four hospitals were damaged and one lost power, forcing the evacuation of 75 patients. Efforts were underway to reopen airports quickly to facilitate emergency supplies. The U.S. government responded by deploying disaster response teams and search and rescue personnel. The State Department authorized non-emergency U.S. government employees and families to leave Jamaica due to the storm's aftermath. Melissa has now been linked to seven deaths across the Caribbean, including three in Jamaica, three in Haiti, and one in the Dominican Republic, with an additional person missing. As the storm continues its path, authorities remain on high alert, emphasizing the importance of ongoing preparedness and swift relief measures to mitigate its impact.