Of all the hazards that hurricanes bring, storm surge is the greatest threat to life and property along the coast. It can sweep homes off their foundations, flood riverside communities miles inland, and break up dunes and levees that normally protect coastal areas against storms.

In the last 25 years, a total of 10 major hurricanes have lashed the island. “Cuba is right in the center of things,” a weather historian said.

Hurricane Melissa strengthened into a Category 4 storm as it churned northwest through the Caribbean Sea on Sunday, taking a direct aim at Jamaica, according to the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center (NHC).

Hurricane Melissa's maximum sustained winds are 175 mph (282km/h) – category five – with stronger gusts as of 2 pm ET, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Hurricane Melissa remains a dangerous, Category 5 storm with landfall in western Jamaica expected Tuesday morning. Melissa has winds of 175 mph and a central pressure dropping to 903 mb as of 11 p.m. ET on Monday night. Hurricane Melissa is now the strongest tropical cyclone on Earth in 2025.