Hurricane Melissa Update: Jamaica Airports Remain Closed as Storm Hits Cuba
by Daniel McCarthy
Sangster International Airport prior to Hurricane Melissa’s arrival. Photo: Debbie Ann Powell / Shutterstock.com
The most powerful storm of the 2025 Hurricane Season, Hurricane Melissa, tore through Jamaica on Tuesday, bringing catastrophic damage to some areas of the island, and is now thrashing Cuba.
As of 5 a.m. on Wednesday, Melissa had weakened as it moved past Jamaica and over Cuba, hitting the island as a Category 3 hurricane. The storm was still extremely dangerous, with winds near 115 mph and higher gusts. It is not expected to lose much strength as it moves away from Cuba and toward the Bahamas later on Wednesday and passes near those islands on Thursday night.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has a Hurricane Warning in effect for the Cuban provinces of Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantanamo, Holguin, and Las Tunas, as well as the Southeastern and Central Bahamas. Meanwhile, a Hurricane Watch has been issued for Bermuda. The NHC also still has a Tropical Storm Warning in effect for Jamaica, Haiti, the Cuban province of Camaguey, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Jamaica Recovers
Melissa was tied by wind speed with four others as the second-strongest Atlantic hurricane ever and was also tied for the strongest ever to make landfall when it hit New Hope, Jamaica, on Tuesday afternoon.
Most residents lost internet connectivity as Melissa tore through the island on Tuesday, dropping more than a foot of rain in some areas, flooding multiple areas, including hospitals, and sending Jamaican authorities into emergency management mode.
Some areas, including St. Elizabeth, were “under water” on Tuesday, according to Desmond McKenzie, the leader of the country’s disaster response. Other areas on the eastern end of the island, including Kingston, fared better, waking up Wednesday mostly undamaged compared to other parts of Jamaica.
Still, the full extent of damage from Melissa, including the death toll, won’t be known for a few days, but it is expected to be deep, especially in some areas. Energy and Transport Minister Daryl Vaz told Sky News on Tuesday that “not very much survives a Category 5 hurricane.”
Jamaica Airports Update
All major airports on Jamaica remain closed on Wednesday, and videos from some of the airports show serious damage, including one from Sangster International Airport (MBJ), which showed departure lounges flooded as water poured in through caved-in roofs.
The news was better at Norman Manley International Airport (KIN) in Kingston, which reported no major damage. The expectation, according to officials, is that Kingston will reopen for disaster relief flights as early as Thursday. Officials also said that they’ll consider using Ian Fleming International Airport (OCJ) for emergency flights, too.
Every major airline flying in or out of Jamaican airports have issued flight and change fee waivers for travel, some extended as far out as Nov. 2. Those waivers are likely to be extended even further, particularly at Norman Manley International, as damage keeps their doors closed.
