Hurricane Melissa is expected to continue strengthening and become a Category 5 hurricane, according to the NHC, Saturday, Oct. 25.

At 5 p.m., Melissa was located about 80 miles south of the Central Bahamas. Melissa is not expected to make landfall in Florida or the U.S. The powerful storm made landfall on Jamaica Tuesday morning and on Cuba early Wednesday morning. It's expected to move across the Bahamas later today and pass near Bermuda late Thursday.

Don’t be fooled – there’s still time for major activity this season. Category 5 Hurricane Melissa, the strongest-ever storm to hit Jamaica, had winds topping 185 mph and could have turned toward the Sunshine State.

Centers of global wealth — and vibrant exile communities that run generations deep — both cities are cultural melting pots that have long been major points of entry for immigrants.

Hurricane Melissa has strengthened back into a Category 2 hurricane after devastating Jamaica, Cuba and the Bahamas and is heading toweard Bermuda.

(Photo: A person walks down a street affected by Hurricane Melissa; in Santa Cruz, Jamaica, 30 October 2025. Credit: Orlando Barría/EPA/Shutterstock)

Parts of the Caribbean began surveying the damage caused by the deadly Hurricane Melissa, which made landfall in Jamaica as a powerful Category 5.