Latest Update: Historic hurricane landfall caused $48 billion to $52 billion in damage across the Caribbean; full recovery could take a decade or longer
AccuWeather® Global Weather Center – Oct. 31, 2025 - The first Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic basin to make landfall in six years will have a significant and lasting impact on hundreds of thousands of people, as well as tourism, agriculture, fishing, forestry, and other industries in Jamaica and across the western Caribbean.
“The devastation is heartbreaking. Hours of extreme winds and powerful storm surge, combined with days of torrential rainfall, destroyed thousands of homes and businesses. Lives have been turned upside down by this storm,” AccuWeather® Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter said. “Many farmers and fishers across the islands were still recovering from the damage caused by Hurricane Beryl last year, when Melissa hit. Many businesses may be shut down for weeks, months, or even years. Some may never be able to recover.”
Search and rescue operations could take days or weeks to reach some of the hardest hit, remote areas of Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and Cuba. AccuWeather® expert meteorologists say weather conditions across the western Caribbean should be calm through the weekend, allowing for critical helicopter missions and emergency aid flights.
“Ensuring access to clean drinking water, proper sanitation, and disease prevention will be critical in the days ahead,” Porter warned. “A humanitarian crisis can escalate quickly, especially in remote areas isolated by flooding, mudslides, and washed-out roads.”
Costly factors considered in damage estimates
AccuWeather® experts estimate the total damage and economic loss from Hurricane Melissa at $48 billion to $52 billion.
Melissa is by far the costliest storm in the Atlantic basin so far this year.
Unlike most weather disaster damage estimates from other sources, which only consider insured losses, AccuWeather® experts consider long-term tourism losses, disruptions to commerce, damage to infrastructure, medical costs, evacuation expenses, crop losses, and extraordinary government expenses for cleanup operations, as well as other factors.
“Tourism is the backbone of Jamaica’s economy, and it’s a vital source of employment. The tourism industry may take years to fully recover from this storm. The combined costs of evacuation efforts, rebuilding critical infrastructure, extended business shutdowns, travel disruptions, job losses, and long-term medical expenses will be significant and continue to accrue for years in many places; it could be a decade or more in the hardest-hit communities,” Porter said. “As ocean waters often remain warm, raising the increased risk for major hurricanes, resilience must be central to how and where communities rebuild. For many families in places like Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and rural Jamaica, the cost of rebuilding stronger can remain a challenge."
Historic storm statistics
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Hurricane Melissa was the most powerful hurricane to make landfall in Jamaica’s recorded history, dating back to 1851, as a Category 5 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 185 mph.
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Hurricane Melissa is tied for the strongest landfalling hurricanes in the Atlantic basin, in terms of sustained winds, with Hurricane Dorian in 2019 and the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935.
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Hurricane Melissa was the third-most intense Caribbean hurricane ever on record, with a minimum central pressure recorded at 892 millibars (26.34 inches).
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Hurricane Melissa is the second-strongest hurricane on record in the Atlantic basin during the month of October, in terms of wind.
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AccuWeather hurricane experts say Melissa maintained Category 5 strength for more than 34 continuous hours before making landfall in Jamaica.
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The last Category 5 hurricane landfall in the Atlantic basin was six years ago when Hurricane Dorian slammed the Bahamas in September 2019.
Additional AccuWeather® Resources:
'Total devastation': Hurricane Melissa leaves trail of destruction, flooding in Jamaica
Melissa grazes Bermuda before reaching Atlantic Canada with damaging winds, flooding rain
AccuWeather RealImpact™ Scale for Hurricanes
AccuWeather Ready: Hurricane Season Safety & Preparedness Information
AccuWeather Hurricane Tracker: Melissa
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