Article first published: Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025, 5 a.m. ET

The strongest storm to directly hit Jamaica before Melissa was Hurricane Gilbert in 1988, which made landfall as a category four hurricane, according to the US National Weather Service. Damaging winds and heavy rain have hit eastern Cuba, according to the latest update from the National Hurricane Center.

Hurricane Melissa is among the strongest hurricanes to have formed in the Atlantic Ocean since records were kept, ranking as one the most powerful storms in terms of both wind strength and pressure.

Hurricane Melissa is moving slowly. It reached the coast of Jamaica this afternoon after stalling out over the Caribbean Sea for the past two days. And yet, the winds that form Melissa are shockingly fast.

The eyewall’s destructive winds may cause total structural failure, particularly in higher elevations, leading to widespread infrastructural damage, prolonged power and communication outages, and isolated communities.

While Hurricane Melissa is forecast to pass well off South Carolina’s coast, the storm may offer insight into what the future could look like in cyclone-prone regions

Hurricane Melissa is a powerful Category 5 storm currently located in the Caribbean. The hurricane is not expected to make landfall in Florida or the United States. Melissa is forecast to make landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday morning.

It also marks the first time in 20 years that three or more Category 5 hurricanes have developed over the Atlantic Basin in one season. The last time was in 2005, when Hurricanes Emily, Katrina, Rita,