Jamaica has a rich hurricane history but has avoided most powerful storms
Although Jamaica has been hit by many hurricanes, a storm stronger than Category 3 has never made landfall on the island.
The island nation of Jamaica is no stranger to hurricanes, with dozens of storms tracking over or near the island throughout recorded history. Melissa is currently forecast to make landfall on the island as a powerful Category 5 hurricane.
Surprisingly, despite Jamaica's central location in the Caribbean, the island has never recorded a direct landfall from a Category 4 or 5 hurricane, according to records from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) dating back to 1850. However, four Category 3 hurricanes have hit Jamaica since NHC records began.
Hurricane Gilbert 1988
Gilbert remains the strongest, deadliest, costliest and most destructive hurricane in Jamaica's recorded history. The storm scraped the island from one end to the other, with the eyewall grinding through the capital city of Kingston, causing $700 million (USD 1988) in damage. Gilbert killed 45 people.
Jamaica Following Hurricane Gilbert in 1988. (Photo by Jason Bleibtreu/Sygma/Sygma via Getty Images)
Hurricane Charlie 1951
Considered Jamaica's deadliest natural disaster in the 20th century, Hurricane Charlie made landfall as a Category 3 storm on Aug. 18, 1951. It caused immense wind damage and flooding from 17 inches of rain that fell in the capital city of Kingston. It was the last hurricane to make landfall on the island until Gilbert in 1988.
1912 Jamaica Hurricane
In 1912, a slow-moving hurricane hit the island on Nov. 18, but it was preceded by a week of rain that was reported to have been as much as 3 feet in some places. Hurricanes weren't assigned names back then, but the storm became known afterwards as the 1912 Jamaica Hurricane.
1903 Jamaica Hurricane
An unnamed hurricane slammed Jamaica on Aug. 11, 1903. The storm killed between 65 and 90 people and wiped out the banana crop, causing many growers to go into bankruptcy.
What Category 4 hurricanes have tracked close to Jamaica?
Three Category 4 hurricanes have tracked just south of Jamaica since 2000, causing the island to experience some of the storm's worst winds and rainfall.
In 2024, Hurricane Beryl caused $204 million (USD 2024) in damage to Jamaica when it passed close to the southern coast, causing high winds, flooding and storm surge.
Hurricane Dean also passed south of the island in 2007, causing $300 million (2007 USD) in damage. Hurricane Ivan took a similar track, devastating the island in 2004, killing 17 people and causing $575 million (USD 2004) in damage.
Debris left by Hurricane Dean is seen 20 August 2007 in Kingston, Jamaica. Hurricane Dean crept into the northwestern Caribbean Sea early Monday after unleashing its fury on Jamaica, prompting its government to declare a state of emergency. The category four hurricane was whipping up giant surf and dumping inches of rain on the island. Roads were blocked by fallen trees and flooded in the eastern parts of the island, with power cuts affecting thousands of homes. (Photo by Anthony A FOSTER / AFP) (Photo by ANTHONY A FOSTER/AFP via Getty Images)
What was the closest pass by a Category 5 storm?
The closest approach of a Category 5 hurricane was Allen in 1980, which tracked near the tip of southern Haiti, 150 miles away, but had weakened to Category 4 by the time it made its closest approach to Jamaica, about 25 miles away from the island, on Aug. 6, 1980. Despite not making landfall, Allen caused $100 million (1980 USD) in damage and killed eight people.
Strong hurricane's direct hit not needed to cause devastation
Even a close pass from a low-end hurricane or even a tropical storm can have a devastating effect on Jamaica.
Hurricane Sandy, a Category 1 hurricane when it hit the island on Oct. 24, 2012, took an unusual track northward through eastern Jamaica. Sandy caused $100 million (USD 2012) damage to the island and killed three people before hitting Cuba as a Category 3 storm and causing massive flooding in the northeastern U.S. In 2008, Tropical Storm Gustav hit Jamaica, causing $210 million (USD 2008) damage and killing 15 people.
Hurricanes that impact Jamaica generally hit between August and October. Only two storms, Hurricane Dennis and Hurricane Emily, have affected the island in July, back-to-back storms in the infamous 2005 hurricane season.
The Jamaican government says that local folklore on the storms dates as far back as 1556, and the Meteorological Service of Jamaica has records of 10 strong cyclones between 1722 and 1850.
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