Hurricane Melissa Makes Second Category 3 Landfall In Cuba Prompting Mass Evacuations

Hurricane Melissa made devastating landfalls as it moved through the Caribbean, first striking Jamaica on Tuesday as a powerful Category 5 storm with sustained winds of 185 mph, making it one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record and the most powerful to hit Jamaica. The storm caused catastrophic damage in Jamaica, including destruction of hospitals, homes, and widespread communication outages, leaving many areas cut off and impeding damage assessment. Early Wednesday, Melissa weakened to a Category 3 hurricane but still made a second landfall in eastern Cuba near Chivirico with 120 mph winds, prompting the evacuation of over 750,000 people and causing severe flooding and landslides. Despite being weaker and moving faster over Cuba than in Jamaica, the storm is expected to bring significant rainfall, storm surge, and wind damage as it crosses the island and heads toward the Bahamas. Melissa's impact extends to Haiti, where heavy rains from the storm's outer bands have caused fatalities and flooding. The hurricane is forecasted to continue its path toward the Bahamas and Bermuda, bringing further severe weather conditions.