January 29, 2026
Fear is at its peak this Sunday morning as Hurricane Melissa has strengthened into a Category 4 system, with winds reaching nearly 225 km/h (140 mph). According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), tropical-storm-force winds and heavy rains are already sweeping across Jamaica, with worsening conditions expected on Monday and Tuesday.
Haiti is now on maximum alert: the South and Grand’Anse departments are under a red alert, while Nippes, the Southeast, and the West remain under an orange alert. Emmanuel Pierre, Director General of Civil Protection, urged residents to “protect their lives and property without delay,” reminding the public that the southern peninsula remains “the most exposed.”
The first torrential rains have begun to hit several coastal communes, causing road closures, the collapse of a bridge, and early flooding. Forecasters estimate that some areas could receive up to 500 millimeters (about 20 inches) of rainfall—enough to trigger flash floods and deadly landslides.
Three deaths have already been confirmed in Haiti, while neighboring Dominican Republic has reported one fatality and a missing teenager. Nine of its 31 provinces are now under red alert due to the risk of flooding and landslides.
The NHC warns that Melissa’s impacts will also reach Cuba, the Bahamas, and the Turks and Caicos Islands within the next 48 hours. The U.S. agency has warned of “catastrophic flooding” and destructive winds, raising the prospect of a regional crisis of rare magnitude for the end of the hurricane season.
