Hurricane Melissa, the powerful Category 5 storm in late October 2025, made landfall on Jamaica’s south coast, striking mainly the western part of the island before crossing inland and exiting to the north.

Key landfall location

  • The hurricane’s eye came ashore near New Hope in Westmoreland Parish, on Jamaica’s southwest coast.
  • Forecast and live updates at the time described landfall along the southern coastline, entering around Saint Elizabeth Parish and tracking west–to–east across the island.

Areas hit hardest

  • Southern coastal areas, especially parts of Westmoreland and Saint Elizabeth, were identified as being at greatest risk from storm surge and extreme winds.
  • Reports described the south coast as expected to be “hardest hit,” with surge likened to a tsunami threatening low-lying communities and infrastructure.

Wider impact across Jamaica

  • Much of the island experienced destructive winds, torrential rain, flooding, and landslides, leading the government to declare Jamaica a disaster area.
  • Kingston did not take a direct hit from the eye but still saw significant damage, power cuts, and infrastructure disruption as the storm crossed the country.

Path across the island

  • After landfall on the south-west coast, Melissa tracked over Jamaica’s mountainous interior, weakening as it moved northward.
  • The storm then exited the island near the north coast (around Saint Ann Parish area) before heading toward Cuba and the wider northwestern Caribbean.

Quick recap

  • Landfall: Near New Hope, Westmoreland Parish, on the southwest coast.
  • Hardest hit: South coast (Westmoreland, Saint Elizabeth, low-lying coastal communities).
  • National impact: Island-wide power outages, flooding, landslides, and a disaster-area declaration.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.