Hurricane Melissa, one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in the Atlantic, hit southwestern Jamaica on 28 October as a Category 5 system—the worst hurricane to hit the area since 1988—before crossing into eastern Cuba as a Category 3 the following day.
As the extent of the damage becomes clearer, the impact continues to grow in the provinces of Santiago de Cuba and Granma — the two most severely hit by Hurricane Melissa.
More than 54,000 people remain evacuated, 7,500 of them in state centers.
• One week after Hurricane Melissa passed through, more than 50 communities in the eastern region remain cut off due to flooding and infrastructure damage, according to Civil Defense reports.
Between 31 August and 5 September 2025, Sierra Leone experienced devastating flash floods across 17 communities in seven districts including Bonthe, Kenema, Bo, Moyamba, Kono, Falaba, and Koinadugu.
Facing the worst cholera outbreak in two decades, South Sudanese are decrying the lack of concrete action and expressing concern over a looming worsening of the crisis during the rainy season.
