Hurricane Melissa 2025: Path, Death Toll, Category, and What You Need to Know

Hurricane Melissa hit Jamaica on October 28, 2025. It quickly became one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes ever recorded. Hurricane Melissa hit with sustained winds of 185 mph and reached a peak of 190 mph. It didn’t just devastate the Caribbean; it changed history. This article breaks down everything you need to know about Melissa’s category, path, death toll, and current recovery status.

Hurricane Melissa Category and Intensity

Hurricane Melissa was a Category 5 hurricane, the highest classification on the Saffir-Simpson scale. It has maximum sustained winds that tie it with Hurricane Allen as the strongest Atlantic hurricane ever. It’s also tied with Hurricane Dorian and the 1935 Labor Day hurricane for the strongest landfalling Atlantic hurricane. It also generated the highest wind gust ever recorded by dropsonde data, with a wind gust of 252 mph. Its minimum central pressure reached 892 millibars, placing it among the most intense Atlantic storms in history.

Hurricane Melissa Path

Hurricane Melissa made landfall on October 28, 2025, near New Hope, Westmoreland, Jamaica, with sustained 185 mph winds. After devastating Jamaica, Melissa made landfall on Cuba as a Category 3 hurricane with sustained winds of 120 mph on October 29. The storm then weakened as it moved through the Bahamas and near Bermuda before fully dissipating on November 1 as it merged into a larger weather trough over the North Atlantic.

Hurricane Melissa Death Toll

The human cost of Hurricane Melissa was devastating across the entire Caribbean region. As of December 2, 2025, there were at least 45 confirmed deaths in Jamaica and 43 in Haiti. In total, the hurricane affected more than 626,000 people across the region. PAHO/WHO reported that, beyond the direct deaths, Melissa caused a leptospirosis outbreak. There were 71 suspected cases and seven confirmed deaths linked to it.

Is Hurricane Melissa Over?

Yes  Hurricane Melissa as an active storm is over. On November 3, 2025, the National Hurricane Center stopped tracking the storm. They confirmed it had changed into a post-tropical cyclone and faded away over the North Atlantic. However, recovery is far from complete. Fifty days after the storm, many communities were still vulnerable. At least 120,000 buildings in southwestern Jamaica had lost their roofs. Also, 90 em ergency shelters were still in use by mid-December 2025.

Conclusion

Hurricane Melissa stands as one of the most destructive and historically significant Atlantic hurricanes ever recorded. Its record-breaking winds and widespread damage in Jamaica, Cuba, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic have made it a major climate event of 2025. The death toll has surpassed 95 lives. The storm has passed, but the Caribbean will keep recovering into 2026 and later. For comprehensive details, visit infostrategie.

FAQS

When did Hurricane Melissa hit Jamaica?

Hurricane Melissa hit southwestern Jamaica near New Hope on October 28, 2025. It was a fierce Category 5 storm.

What happened to Hurricane Melissa in 2025?

In late October 2025, Melissa quickly became a Category 5 hurricane. It hit Jamaica hard, then weakened. It moved over Cuba and the Bahamas, passing near Bermuda before fading away by early November.

What countries were affected by Hurricane Melissa?

Melissa impacted Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, the Bahamas, and caused effects near Bermuda with heavy winds and rain.

Is Hurricane Melissa going to be worse than Katrina?

Melissa’s record peak winds and pressure made it one of the most intense Atlantic hurricanes, but comparing “worse” depends on criteria: Katrina’s storm surge and death toll were historically catastrophic, so Melissa is not universally considered worse than Katrina.

Is Melissa the strongest hurricane ever?

Melissa tied with some of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes by sustained wind speed and pressure, but it is not the single strongest ever—others like Hurricane Allen had similar or higher records.