Hurricane Melissa: Cuba Faces the Fury of the Wind and the Challenge of Recovery

Hurricane Melissa, one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in the Atlantic basin, struck eastern Cuba between October 28 and 29, 2025, leaving a trail of destruction, homes razed, and significant agricultural losses in its wake. Official statistics and humanitarian reports describe a country reeling from the devastation.

An Unprecedented Storm

Before reaching Cuba, Melissa reached Category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale, with sustained winds of approximately 295 km/h and a central pressure of 892 mbar, ranking among the most intense Atlantic hurricanes in recent history.
Upon making landfall in southeastern Cuba, it weakened to Category 3, but still possessed devastating force.

According to ACAPS analysis, tropical storm-force winds extended up to 315 km from the hurricane’s center, and storm surges reached between 2 and 3.3 meters along the southeastern coast, causing severe flooding in municipalities of Santiago de Cuba, Granma, and Holguín provinces.

Impact on Residents

Thousands of people had to evacuate their homes, leaving practically everything behind, facing the imminent danger of losing not only their property but also their lives.

Official sources reported that more than 650,000 people were evacuated before the storm hit—258,500 in Santiago de Cuba, 139,900 in Guantánamo, and 110,000 in Holguín—and subsequent figures raised the total to approximately 735,000 people.

Damage to Housing and Infrastructure

Initial reports from local authorities and the press reflect widespread damage to housing infrastructure:

• Roofs torn off and walls collapsed in old masonry buildings.
• Wooden houses completely destroyed in rural communities.
• Prolonged power outages across almost all of eastern Cuba.
• Roads blocked by landslides and fallen trees.
• In Santiago de Cuba, some neighborhoods were submerged under more than a meter of water.

The human cost is reflected in the hundreds of families who partially or completely lost the homes they had built over decades and who now lack the resources to rebuild.

Impact on Agriculture and Food

Melissa struck at a crucial time for the coffee, cacao, and banana harvests, pillars of the eastern economy.

Torrential rains and storm surge destroyed entire fields, washed away irrigation systems, and flooded farmland. In the municipalities of Guamá and Yateras, some rice fields and orchards were flooded with saltwater, temporarily rendering the soil unusable for cultivation.

Livestock losses were also reported due to the collapse of barns and corrals.

The Ministry of Agriculture warned that food production could be affected in the coming months, and emergency plans were announced to redistribute grain reserves and support rapid planting in less damaged areas.

Victims and State of the Emergency

Although the official death toll in Cuba has not yet been reported, unofficial reports of missing persons and deaths are already being received.

Undoubtedly, the recovery will be long and complex.

Among the aid priorities are:

• Food and medicine.
• Household goods and construction materials.
• Water filters.

If you would like to join the Cuban church and support the families devastated by this weather event, you can do so by donating at this LINK

Through this same link, our ministry will make available to donors photos from our visit to affected areas and churches.

Here are some images of the damage caused by the hurricane in eastern Cuba.