The Caribbean storm — among the most powerful in history, with 185 mph winds — is expected to bring flash-flooding and landslides as it slowly moves across the island and heads north toward Cuba.

Melissa killed dozens in Haiti when a river burst its banks and left tens of thousands without electricity in Jamaica.

Hurricane Melissa became one of the most powerful hurricanes on record to make landfall in the Atlantic Basin.

Article last updated: Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025, 5 p.m. ET

Texas newlyweds Kasydee and Hunter Bishop are trapped near Montego Bay, Jamaica, as Hurricane Melissa approaches as a Category 5 storm with 175 mph winds.

The most powerful storm to hit the region since 1988 could inundate some areas of eastern Jamaica with up to 40 inches of rain. The arrival of its core has been delayed by stalling.

Just days ago, Hannah Grubbs — who ignored warnings of the Category 5 hurricane and flew to Jamaica regardless — shared a video of herself ordering drinks at a bar and wrote, “pretending there’s not a category 5 hurricane hitting.

The capitals and exclamation points are warranted. Hurricane Melissa is an extraordinary storm, even among the many massive, fast-growing, devastating cyclones that have been erupting in the Atlantic Ocean in recent years.