On October 28, 2025, Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 superstorm with sustained winds of 185 mph, bore down on Jamaica, threatening the island's 2.8 million residents with what officials called "catastrophic" damage.

Millions of people across Jamaica are hunkering down and praying for safety from Hurricane Melissa, which made landfall on Tuesday around 1 p.m. with winds of 185 mph.

The strongest storm to strike the Caribbean island in modern history, the hurricane sustained winds of 298km/h (185 mph) at its peak - stronger than Hurricane Katrina, which devastated New Orleans in 2005, killing 1,392 people.

Before Hurricane Melissa, the most damaging hurricane to hit Jamaica was Gilbert, which struck the island in September 1988. Gilbert was a Category 4 hurricane when it made landfall and caused tremendous damage from intense winds, storm surge and flooding. Tens of thousands were left homeless, and 49 people were killed.

The United Cajun Navy's deployment to Jamaica marks the first time the nonprofit organization has provided aid outside of the United States.

Twenty years ago this week, back in 2005, Hurricane Wilma was raging across the Caribbean Sea, and bringing devastating impacts to the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. Afterwards, Wilma would turn northeastward and quickly impact the Florida peninsula later on the 24th of October.

Hurricane Melissa was "moving quickly away" from Bermuda early Friday after the death toll rose to nearly 50 people, officials said.