Category 5 Hurricane Melissa Hits Jamaica, Threatens Caribbean Infrastructure, Strands Travelers

Hurricane Melissa, a catastrophic Category 5 storm with estimated maximum sustained winds of 185 mph, made landfall in southwestern Jamaica — the strongest storm to hit the island in 174 years — causing widespread infrastructure damage, power outages and prompting evacuations. Airports and cruise ports have closed or been damaged, threatening prolonged travel disruptions and potentially stranding visitors while cruise lines reposition assets and air service may be suspended for days. Jamaica’s hospitality sector — from hotels and tour operators to yacht and boating businesses — has been forced to shelter staff, evacuate guests, protect vessels and brace for major economic losses as rescue groups prepare for hazardous relief operations. Travel experts and consumer guides urge travelers to buy comprehensive travel insurance (including trip cancellation/interruption, hurricane-warning protections, coverage for uninhabitable lodging, and optional Cancel-For-Any-Reason upgrades) to protect prepaid costs and enable flexible responses during hurricane season. Separately, Democratic attorneys general from several states have sued to compel the USDA to use contingency or Section 32 funds to make at least partial SNAP payments during the government shutdown, accusing the administration of politicizing emergency funds and risking hardship for children.