30/10/2025
SA News Sikkim
Category-5 Hurricane ‘Melissa’ Wreaks Havoc in the Caribbean with Winds of 300 km/h, 30 Dead, 1 Million Homeless
New Delhi, October 30: The cyclonic storm ‘Melissa’ that originated in the Atlantic Ocean has now intensified into a Category-5 hurricane. Winds gusting at 300 kilometers per hour have caused severe devastation in Jamaica, Haiti, Cuba, the Bahamas, and the Dominican Republic. The storm is now advancing toward Bermuda. To date, 30 people have lost their lives, and more than 1 million individuals have been rendered homeless. High alerts and states of emergency have been declared in the affected countries. In Jamaica, during landfall on October 28, wind speeds reached 185 miles (300 km) per hour, marking it as the most destructive storm in the country’s 174-year history. Prime Minister Andrew Holness has pledged to undertake reconstruction efforts. In Cuba, Melissa arrived on Wednesday evening as a Category-3 storm, with winds of 208 km/h and massive flooding from 7-foot-high sea surges. 600,000 people were evacuated to safer locations. President Miguel Díaz-Canel had already declared a state of emergency. In Haiti, 25 people lost their lives, and in the Dominican Republic, 1 person died. The storm also grazed the Florida coast, where winds reached 300 km/h.
Currently, Melissa remains active as a Category-1 storm in the Bahamas, where heavy rainfall and strong winds are worsening conditions. According to the U.S. weather agency, rising sea temperatures in the Caribbean have further intensified Melissa. The United States has dispatched relief teams and aid to provide immediate assistance to the affected countries.