Hurricane Melissa Approaching Jamaica, Haiti And Dominican Republic As A Powerful Category 4 Storm, Affecting Tourists And Local Communities

Published on October 27, 2025

As Hurricane Melissa strengthens into a Category 4 hurricane, nan Caribbean prepares for terrible upwind and rainfall and imaginable floods. Melissa’s 140 mph winds put nan group of Jamaica, Haiti and nan Dominican Republic successful a difficult position arsenic nan slow moving hurricane disrupts travel, damages infrastructure, and wastes precious tourism opportunities each astatine nan aforesaid time.

Jamaica’s Tourism Sector Bracing for Impact

Jamaica’s tourism industry, which draws millions of visitors annually to its beautiful beaches and resorts, is astatine consequence arsenic Hurricane Melissa’s slow activity increases nan threat of prolonged rainfall and terrible flooding. As of Sunday, nan large wind was positioned astir 110 miles south-southeast of Kingston, moving astatine a slow gait of 3 mph. This slow mobility allows Melissa to dump excessive amounts of rainfall complete nan aforesaid areas, putting some locals and visitors successful harm’s way.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has warned of rainfall totals perchance exceeding 30 inches, pinch immoderate areas astatine consequence of seeing up to 40 inches of rain. The resulting flooding could origin important infrastructure damage, powerfulness outages, and nan isolation of full communities. The authorities has activated emergency measures to mitigate nan storm’s effect connected some residents and tourists.

Flight Cancellations and Airport Closures

As Hurricane Melissa nears Jamaica, important disruptions person already occurred successful nan aerial recreation sector. Both of nan country’s awesome world airports, Norman Manley International Airport successful Kingston and Sangster International Airport successful Montego Bay, person closed to guarantee rider information and debar harm to aviation infrastructure.

For travellers already successful Jamaica, this intends that flights person been cancelled aliases delayed, and inbound world passengers whitethorn beryllium incapable to scope their destination. Tourists are urged to show their formation position and make basal arrangements to guarantee their information during nan storm’s passage.

Tourist Destinations At Risk

Several celebrated tourer destinations successful Jamaica, nan Dominican Republic, and Haiti are astatine consequence of important harm from nan storm. In Jamaica, coastal resorts and cities specified arsenic Negril, Ocho Rios and Montego Bay could look flooding, pinch awesome roads and entree routes perchance trim off. These areas are location to galore luxury hotels, restaurants, and beaches, which pull visitors from astir nan world.

In Haiti, nan large wind is expected to impact nan capital, Port-au-Prince, and adjacent tourer destinations, including nan beaches and taste sites that tie world visitors. Similarly, nan Dominican Republic’s capital, Santo Domingo, and coastal resorts whitethorn acquisition dense rainfall and beardown winds, posing a threat to nan information of tourists.

Safety Protocols for Tourists

The Jamaican authorities has been proactive successful ensuring nan information of visitors during nan storm. Over 650 shelters person been group up crossed nan island, pinch galore located successful coastal areas to accommodate visitors who whitethorn request to return shelter from nan storm. The government’s National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) and nan Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) person been coordinating efforts to guarantee that visitors are kept informed and safe during this play of heightened risk.

Here are nan information protocols for visitors presently successful nan affected areas:

• Stay Informed: Regularly show section news and updates from authorities sources, including nan National Hurricane Center, for nan latest large wind developments.
• Shelter: If you are successful a region nether a hurricane warning, instantly activity shelter successful designated safe areas, specified arsenic tourer shelters and hotels that are well-equipped to grip large wind conditions.
• Avoid Travel: Avoid recreation to immoderate affected areas unless necessary. If you are readying to sojourn immoderate coastal destinations, beryllium alert of imaginable evacuations and roadworthy closures.
• Emergency Supplies: Make judge to person entree to emergency supplies, including water, non-perishable food, and medications.
• Evacuation Plans: Follow nan guidance of section authorities and your edifice aliases circuit usability regarding removal procedures if needed.

Impact connected Local Communities

While nan contiguous interest is nan information of tourists, section communities successful Jamaica, Haiti, and nan Dominican Republic besides look nan anticipation of terrible flooding, infrastructure damage, and semipermanent powerfulness outages. The authorities of Jamaica, on pinch agencies for illustration ODPEM, has been mobilising resources to negociate nan situation and guarantee that alleviation efforts are successful spot for some residents and visitors.

Prepare for nan Worst, Hope for nan Best

As Hurricane Melissa continues to intensify, visitors successful nan affected areas should prioritise their information supra each else. Local governments person enacted emergency measures, and world visitors must comply pinch each information guidelines and heed section advisories. With nan large wind expected to linger for respective days, it is important to enactment indoors, limit travel, and stay updated connected nan latest upwind reports.

In nan Caribbean, nan tempests expect disruptions, formation cancellations, and nan shutting down of places for a while. Sightseers should enactment successful interaction pinch their recreation companies, observe their information recommendations, and enactment put for announcements. Both tourer and section for nan somesthesia cheque and utmost resistible conditions, this could easy beryllium flooded if due readying and safeguarding and patience are taken.