Hurricane Melissa Intensifies: REACT on Standby to Support Caribbean
Posted by Olivia Everett 26th October 2025 News
Estimated Reading Time: 2 mins
Hurricane Melissa has now been classified as Category 5 strength and the next 24-48 hours will bring destructive winds, catastrophic flooding, and landslides across parts of Jamaica, Haiti, and neighbouring islands.
A rapidly intensifying storm threatens the Caribbean
Hurricane Melissa has strengthened into a Category 5 bringing destructive winds, flash flooding, and landslides across parts of Jamaica, Haiti, and neighbouring islands.
Up to 35 inches of rain are expected in some areas, with early modelling suggesting around 2.7 million people in Jamaica and 4 million in Haiti could be affected as the storm tracks north-east through the region.
Communities already under pressure
Days of heavy rain have left ground conditions saturated across Jamaica and western Haiti, heightening the risk of landslides and flash flooding as Melissa strengthens over warm coastal waters. Kingston’s airport has been closed, with Montego Bay expected to suspend operations later today. Power disruptions are spreading as transmission lines are hit by flooding and lightning, while more than 800 shelters are now on standby across Jamaica.
Humanitarian partners have begun pre-positioning supplies and emergency food stocks in coordination with national authorities.
CDEMA Director Liz Riley emphasised that the agency’s role is to support the governments of affected states in the most effective and coordinated way possible, with current efforts focused on Jamaica and Haiti.
Regional coordination underway
The regional response is being coordinated through the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) and its Caribbean Development Partners Group (CDPG) mechanism. REACT Disaster Response is actively participating in CDPG coordination meetings alongside the World Food Programme (WFP), IOM, UNICEF, IFRC, and PAHO, ensuring readiness across multiple operational scenarios.
As a standby partner to the World Food Programme, REACT is maintaining operational readiness and situational awareness through our operations and liaison teams. We are also on standby to provide surge capacity through CDEMA and other coordination partners should requests for assistance arise.
“Hurricane Melissa is unfolding against a backdrop of vulnerability and uncertainty, Our role now is to understand the situation on the ground, connect partners as helpful, and deploy volunteers the moment support is required”. Toby Wicks, REACT Disaster Response Chief Executive.
Standing by for what comes next
With forecasts indicating further strengthening before the system tracks north toward eastern Cuba and the Turks and Caicos Islands, the situation remains highly dynamic. REACT continues to monitor developments through the CDPG and will adjust readiness measures as conditions evolve over the next 24 hours.