Hurricane Melissa hit Jamaica as a Category 5 storm and has since impacted Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and the Bahamas.
Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica as a Category 5 storm on Tuesday before continuing on to cause damage in Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Bahamas on Wednesday.
Jamaica’s tourism ministry reported that there were some 25,000 international visitors in the country during the storm’s track across the island, and they had all been accounted for by Wednesday, tourism minister Edmund Bartlett told The New York Times. Most major resorts on the island have generators to provide immediate backup power in the event of an outage during a storm.
Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston, the country’s capital, reopened Wednesday for relief flights, and is expected to reopen to commercial flights Thursday, allowing travelers to evacuate if they wish. Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay remains closed while airport officials assess damage. Travelers in Jamaica with immediate evacuation, communications, or medical needs who aren’t able to seek assistance from their resort operator should contact the U.S. Embassy in Kingston or the U.S. Consulate in Montego Bay for assistance. The U.S. diplomatic missions in Jamaica are only offering limited emergency services to U.S. citizens and all routine passport and visa appointments have been cancelled.
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Major airlines have offered flexible ticketing policies for passengers booked for affected cities in Jamaica, The Bahamas, Cuba, Turks & Caicos, the Cayman Islands, and Bermuda, allowing them to make changes to their tickets without penalty. A check of availability for major resorts on Jamaica found that most resorts are not taking new reservations until Monday or Tuesday evening, as it is unclear when the airports will reopen to accommodate outbound travelers.
Jamaica’s tourism ministry has also cautioned travelers remaining on the island from touring hurricane damaged areas as additional traffic could impede emergency and relief workers. The ministry encouraged visitors to follow advice from their hotels and local authorities for their safety. Visitors who wish to evacuate should contact their airline for flight assistance.
Sandals Resorts, the Jamaica-based operator of all-inclusive resorts throughout the Caribbean, has reported all their guests and staff are safe, and they’re currently assessing the needs of travelers with inbound plans during the next few days to offer alternate arrangements. Sandals notes that call volume is currently high, and are requesting that only travelers with travel scheduled during the next 30 days call for assistance; all other travelers should wait at least three days to allow the contact centers to work through the backlog. Sandals operates seven properties in Jamaica.
It’s worth noting that, as a country that frequently weathers hurricanes, Jamaica’s resorts have plans in place to recover quickly following a storm. Travelers with travel booked to Jamaica in the coming weeks can contact their resorts within the next few days on when the resorts should be reopened for new arrivals. Tourism is a major driver of Jamaica’s economy, and continued visitation will drive the economic power to aid in the country’s recovery.
On Turks & Caicos, the island’s airport authority suspended operations at the country’s airports on Wednesday afternoon in response to a tropical storm warning related to Hurricane Melissa. Exuma International Airport in the Bahamas closed on October 28 and is expected to resume operations Thursday afternoon. That country’s main airport, in Nassau, remains open.
The U.S. State Department has asked the military to assist with disaster relief response requests from Jamaica and Haiti. The government of the Bahamas has requested air support from the U.S. The State Department does not typically coordinate disaster relief—that role had previously been filled by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which the Trump Administration shut down in early 2025. Unlike USAID’s previous hurricane response efforts, the State Department has not proactively staged supplies in countries anticipated to be affected. The State Department has stockpiled supplies in six warehouses, but not in locations affected by the hurricane.
Travelers wanting to contribute to relief efforts in the region can go to Sandals Foundation, which has implemented a Hurricane Relief Mission. Donations can also be made to Jamaica’s Red Cross.
Outside of communities directly affected by the hurricane, other destinations in the Caribbean basin continue normal operations.
