Mon Oct 27 05:15:07 UTC 2025: ## Summary:

Hurricane Melissa, a Category 4 storm, is threatening Jamaica, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic with catastrophic flooding and landslides. It has already caused at least four deaths and is expected to intensify to a Category 5. The slow-moving storm is predicted to bring up to 40 inches of rain in some areas, prompting urgent warnings and evacuations. The airport and seaports in Kingston, Jamaica, have closed, and shelters have been activated. Officials are pleading with residents to seek safety immediately, fearing the storm could be worse than the devastating Hurricane Gilbert in 1988. After Jamaica, the storm is predicted to hit Cuba.

News Article:

Hurricane Melissa Threatens Caribbean; Jamaica Braces for ‘Catastrophic’ Flooding

Kingston, Jamaica – October 27, 2025 – A major Category 4 hurricane, Melissa, is barreling toward Jamaica and other Caribbean nations, prompting urgent warnings of catastrophic flooding and landslides. The slow-moving storm has already claimed at least four lives in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, and forecasters predict it will intensify into a top-level Category 5 before making landfall.

“This extreme rainfall potential, owing to the slow motion, is going to create a catastrophic event here for Jamaica,” warned NHC Deputy Director Jamie Rhome.

Maximum sustained winds are currently at 145 miles per hour, and the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) projects rainfall totals of up to 40 inches in parts of Jamaica, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic’s emergency operations centre has placed nine of 31 provinces on red alert.

The international airport in Kingston, Jamaica, has closed, along with all seaports. Government officials are urging residents to seek shelter immediately, activating storm shelters across the island.

“There is nothing more we can do as a government but to beg and beseech persons to heed the warning… This is one bet you cannot win. You cannot bet against Melissa,” pleaded one official.

Residents are drawing comparisons to 1988’s Hurricane Gilbert, which caused widespread devastation and loss of life.

After passing over Jamaica, Hurricane Melissa is forecast to move north and cross over eastern Cuba on Tuesday night, continuing to bring heavy rain and winds to the region.

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