HAVANA, Cuba — A weakened yet still dangerous Hurricane Melissa made landfall in eastern Cuba early Wednesday, prompting mass evacuations and a national state of alert after leaving a trail of destruction across Jamaica.
Authorities said at least 735,000 people have been evacuated from vulnerable areas as President Miguel Díaz-Canel warned that the country faced “a very difficult night.”
The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Melissa struck near Santiago de Cuba as a Category 3 storm, with sustained winds of about 195 km/h (120 mph).
The hurricane had earlier reached Category 5 strength as it swept through Jamaica on Tuesday, forcing the government there to declare the island a disaster area amid extensive flooding, power outages, and collapsed infrastructure.
Cuban authorities placed six eastern provinces on high alert, urging residents to seek shelter in schools, churches, and government centers. State television showed long queues of families carrying personal belongings to evacuation sites, while emergency crews worked to reinforce power lines and coastal barriers.
“We bought bread, spaghetti, and ground beef. This cyclone is serious, but we’ll get through it,” Graciela Lamaison, a resident of Santiago de Cuba, told Agence France-Presse (AFP). In the nearby town of Playa Siboney, Floraina Duany, 80, was seen praying to Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre, Cuba’s patron saint, asking that the storm’s impact be softened.
President Díaz-Canel, posting on X (formerly Twitter), assured citizens that the government was mobilizing emergency support across affected regions. “It will be a very difficult night for all of Cuba, but we will recover,” he said.
Melissa’s landfall follows catastrophic damage in Jamaica, where Prime Minister Andrew Holness confirmed widespread flooding and disruption to transport and electricity networks. More than 500,000 homes lost power, and the government has appealed for international assistance to support relief and rebuilding efforts.
In Haiti, located east of Cuba, authorities closed schools, businesses, and government offices as precautionary measures, warning that outer rainbands from Melissa could trigger flash floods and landslides.
Meteorologists said Melissa is one of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes in recent years, and though it weakened before reaching Cuba, it still poses threats of life-threatening storm surges, coastal flooding, and landslides in mountainous areas.
The storm’s passage highlights the growing frequency and intensity of tropical systems in the Caribbean, which scientists have linked to climate change and rising sea surface temperatures.
By Wednesday afternoon, Cuban emergency services were monitoring damage in Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo, and Holguín, with initial reports indicating significant power disruptions and blocked roads due to fallen trees and debris.
As recovery efforts begin, regional leaders have urged solidarity and cooperation. “This is not just a Cuban or Jamaican crisis—it’s a Caribbean crisis,” said one official from the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA). “The scale of destruction demands a collective response.”
The Bahamas and other northern Caribbean islands remain on high alert as Melissa continues its path across the Atlantic, with forecasters warning that flooding and strong winds could persist for several days.
