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The most powerful storm to hit Jamaica in modern history made landfall in Cuba in October. 

Last updated 20 November 2025

Hurricane Melissa, the most powerful storm of 2025 so far, made landfall in Jamaica late on Tuesday 28 October. 

With estimated wind speeds of up to 185 miles per hour, Hurricane Melissa has had a catastrophic impact on the country, bringing life-threatening storms, flash flooding, and landslides. 

Along with violent winds, the storm brought torrential rainfall up to a metre high in mountainous areas, triggering widespread flooding and landslides. 90,000 households have been displaced, and more than 190,000 buildings damaged.

Before Melissa arrived in Jamaica, the most at-risk were expected to be across eight parishes in Jamaica: Saint Elizabeth, Manchester, Clarendon, Saint Catherine, Saint Andrew, Kingston, Saint Thomas and Portland.  

As Melissa's path continued onto Cuba, the hurricane was downgraded to a category 3 storm - one of the most powerful to have hit Cuba since 2017, according to the BBC. 

 

Size and population of Jamaica

With a population of 2.8 million, Jamaica is the fourth most populous country of the Caribbean. At only 4,224 square miles in area, the longest point of the island is 146 miles. 

Hurricane Melissa: How the Red Cross is helping people in Jamaica

The Jamaica Red Cross took early action to protect people across the eight parishes most at risk, mobilising volunteers, pre-positioning emergency supplies and preparing shelters ahead of the storm’s arrival.

They mobilised 400 volunteers and released blankets, cleaning kits, hygiene kits, shelter tool kits, tarpaulins and food packages.

A total of 160 tonnes of Red Cross humanitarian aid arrived in Jamaica in the first seven days after Melissa made landfall.

So far, the International Federation of the Red Cross has distributed:

• 3,330 blankets
• 1,023 shelter tool kits
• 2,523 tarpaulins
• 1,026 hygiene kits
• 871 cleaning kits
• 800 mosquito nets
• 225 jerry cans
• 1361 bottles of water
• 137 kitchen sets
• 193 buckets
• 69 mattresses
• 26 stoves 

 

Across Jamaica, 881 shelters were opened. A month later, 109 are still active and the Jamaica Red Cross is directly managing eight, ensuring safe sheltering and essential services for people at risk. The National Society is coordinating closely with government agencies to ensure aid reaches high-risk communities. 

Horace Glance, deputy operations manager for the Jamaica Red Cross told ABC News on Sunday 26 October: “We’ve never had such a major hurricane coming across the island, making landfall and its eye passing over us.

“So the usual things such as landslides, as well as coastal, river and urban flooding, would be expected but it’s going to be a lot more with an event this size in terms of the volume of water... as well as more severe winds than we’ve ever experienced.”

Tragically, communities in Jamaica are still recovering from Hurricane Beryl which struck the island in July 2024. Our experience tells us that the aid response will be a protracted one. The Jamaica Red Cross was on the ground supporting communities long before the storm hit and will continue to be there throughout the recovery process. 

Support across the Caribbean

Red Cross teams in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Cuba and the Bahamas ramped up preparedness efforts in anticipation of Melissa鈥檚 arrival.

• In Cuba, the Cuban Red Cross has 35,000 volunteers active.
• In Haiti, the J茅r茅mie Emergency Operations Centre is working with local authorities.
• In the Dominican Republic, volunteers have carried out rescues and evacuations in flood-affected communities, as well as transporting patients from local hospitals to medical centres in safer areas. 

In response to the 2025 hurricane season, the Red Cross network is working to strengthen community resilience in over 28 countries by integrating science and local knowledge to protect communities from the growing risks posed by climate change. 

 

Help people affected by Hurricane Melissa and other disasters

No one should have to face a disaster alone. That鈥檚 why people and communities urgently need help from charities like the Red Cross. Our teams are on the ground now helping those in need. Please support us if you can. , which helps us to respond to disasters and emergencies like Hurricane Melissa anywhere in the world. 

• Help for people with friends or family caught overseas in a crisis.