Hurricane Melissa, which struck the Jamaican coast on Tuesday, October 28, with winds approaching 300 km/h, ranks among the most violent cyclones ever recorded in nearly a century of measurements.
Its initial intensity, reaching Category 5 (the highest on the Saffir-Simpson scale), ravaged Jamaica with historically strong gusts, tearing off roofs and uprooting trees, and causing devastating floods.
Downgraded to a Category 3 hurricane, Melissa then made landfall in Cuba, leaving an initial tragic death toll of at least 30 in Jamaica, Cuba, and Haiti. The extensive damage makes a final assessment difficult.
With sustained winds recorded at 296 km/h at the time of landfall, Melissa equaled the record for power held by the Labor Day hurricane (1935 in Florida) and Hurricane Dorian (2019 in the Bahamas, 75 deaths), securing its place in meteorological history.
Tourism Devastated
The arrival of Hurricane Melissa on the Jamaican coast triggered a cascade of devastating consequences for the tourism sector, plunging the island’s economy into a deep crisis.
The first and most immediate impact was the immediate closure of air hubs: Kingston (KIN) and Montego Bay (MBJ) international airports ceased all operations, resulting in the cancellation of all incoming and outgoing flights and a complete halt to air access to the tourist destination.
At the same time, the maritime sector was hit hard.
The cancellation of cruise ship calls and the closure of seaports directly impacted cruise tourism, resulting in a massive loss of revenue usually generated by this influx of visitors.
On the ground, the priority was the preventative evacuation or relocation of tourists already staying in coastal hotels.
These measures, combined with the damage, made it impossible to stay, forcing hasty departures and eliminating any prospect of new arrivals in the short term.
Hotel infrastructure suffered major structural damage to hotels, resorts (particularly on the hard-hit west coast), and rental villas.
The Most Powerful Ever Seen
By 2025, Melissa is logically positioned as the most powerful tropical cyclone among the hundred or so observed.
A preliminary study conducted by scientists at Imperial College London highlights the undeniable role of human-caused climate change, which has simultaneously increased the probability of occurrence and the devastating intensity of this extreme event.