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From AccuWeather Public Relations Staggering Economic Impact: Hurricane Melissa caused $48 billion to $52 billion in total damage and economic loss, according to a new preliminary estimate from AccuWeather experts.> Impacts in the Bahamas: Melissa is expected to bring 8-12 inches of rain, several feet of storm surge, and dangerous wind gusts of 100-120 mph with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 140 mph to parts of the southern Bahamas as Melissa moves northeastward. > Historic Landfall: Melissa will go down in the record books as the strongest hurricane to hit Jamaica and one of the most intense hurricanes on record in the Atlantic basin. > The year of Category 5 Hurricanes: 2025 joins 2005 as the only two years on record with three or more Category 5 hurricanes in the Atlantic basin. AccuWeather® Global Weather Center – Oct. 29, 2025 – Hurricane Melissa will bring torrential rainfall, powerful wind gusts, and several feet of storm surge to the Turks and Caicos and parts of the Bahamas, following a destructive early morning landfall in Cuba. “Hurricane Melissa slammed into southeast Cuba with maximum sustained winds near 120 mph. A major hurricane landfall in the dark is incredibly dangerous, with flying debris and life-threatening flash flooding,” AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva said. “Melissa was able to regain some of its strength overnight as it left Jamaica and crossed the warm waters of the Caribbean before its second destructive landfall in Cuba. The storm surge that pushed into some of the bays and beaches may have reached 10-15 feet. The storm lost wind intensity as it interacted with the mountains of southeast Cuba, but the forced upward motion of the air over the mountainous terrain is squeezing out tremendous amounts of rainfall. Life-threatening flooding and mudslides can happen in a matter of minutes with this much rain, especially near steep terrain.”AccuWeather hurricane experts say Melissa will bring some rain and wind impacts to Bermuda later this week and Nova Scotia at the end of the week and into the weekend. Melissa is a 5 for the western Caribbean on the AccuWeather RealImpact™ Scale for Hurricanes, a 3 for the Bahamas and a 1 for Bermuda.Massive Economic Impact Melissa is the first Category 5 hurricane on record to make landfall in Jamaica, causing widespread damage across the island. AccuWeather experts issued a new preliminary estimate of total damage and economic loss from Hurricane Melissa at $48 billion to $52 billion. “This historic landfall left a path of catastrophic destruction where the eye of the storm crossed through western Jamaica. 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,” AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter said. “The loss of tourism and disruptions to business will be felt for years. Extensive work is needed to repair or rebuild critical infrastructure from the winds, storm surge, flooding and mudslides. In the hardest hit communities, the recovery will take years, even a decade or more. Virtually the entire economy of Jamaica has been impacted by this hurricane.” “Recovery and relief operations will be extremely dangerous and challenging over the next few days. After a major hurricane in a tropical climate, mold, mildew, and mosquitoes quickly become major health concerns,” DaSilvasaid. “Residents and tourists may be stranded for quite some time in the hardest hit areas. This was a historic and devastating storm for the Caribbean. The recovery and rebuilding process after a direct hit from a Category 5 storm could take a decade or longer.” Porter says medical care, evacuations, clean drinking water, emergency shelter, and basic necessities for hurricane survivors are a top priority in the immediate aftermath of the storm. “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 said. “The next few days will be crucial for search, rescue, and relief operations, with the focus on saving lives. A humanitarian crisis can quickly develop if help cannot reach the hardest hit areas over the next 48 hours.” Staggering storm statistics AccuWeather hurricane experts say Melissa will go down in history as the strongest landfall on record in Jamaica and one of the most powerful hurricanes ever in the Atlantic basin. “This has been a remarkably unique hurricane season with very powerful storms. Hurricane Melissa was able to maintain Category 5 strength for a staggering 34 hours before it hit Jamaica,” DaSilva said. “Melissa is the third storm this season to explode into a Category 5 hurricane. Exceptionally warm waters across the Atlantic basin provided ample energy for storms to rapidly intensify this year. The only year on record with more Category 5 storms was 2005, with four storms.” AccuWeather hurricane experts say Melissa tied two other hurricanes as the strongest recorded landfall on record in the Atlantic basin. Hurricane Melissa, Hurricane Dorian in 2019 and the Labor Day storm of 1935 all had a landfall with maximum sustained winds of 185 mph.
