Tornado-like devastation stretches for miles in Black River after Hurricane Melissa’s historic landfall, Jamaica
Newly released aerial footage from Black River, St Elizabeth Parish, shows widespread wind destruction after Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica on October 28, 2025, with maximum sustained winds of 295 km/h (185 mph). The footage reveals entire neighborhoods flattened, with damage resembling that of a large tornado outbreak.
Aerial views of destruction in Jamaica caused by Category 5 Hurricane Melissa - October 2025. Credit: Government of Jamaica/Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management
Hurricane Melissa made landfall near Black River, St Elizabeth Parish, Jamaica, at approximately 10:15 LT (15:15 UTC) on October 28, as a Category 5 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 295 km/h (185 mph) and a minimum central pressure of 915 hPa.
This was the strongest hurricane to strike Jamaica on record, causing catastrophic damage across the southern and central parishes.
The newly released aerial footage from Black River, a coastal town and parish capital of St Elizabeth, one of the landfall points, shows extensive tornado-like wind damage.
Entire residential areas and coastal infrastructure, including the hospital, police station, and 300-year-old St John’s Parish Anglican Church, were destroyed or severely damaged. Downed trees and power lines stretch for miles inland, with local authorities describing the impact as beyond anything in living memory.
Melissa is blamed for the deaths of at least 44 people, with some unofficial reports mentioning over 50, including 33 from flooding and landslides in Hispaniola and at least 8 in Jamaica.
As of 09:00 UTC on October 30, the center of Hurricane Melissa was located about 345 km (215 miles) northeast of the central Bahamas and 1 105 km (685 miles) southwest of Bermuda. The system had maximum sustained winds of 165 km/h (105 mph) and was moving north-northeast at 33 km/h (21 mph).
Slight strengthening is possible today as Melissa accelerates toward Bermuda, where a Hurricane Warning is in effect.
Melissa is expected to pass northwest of Bermuda tonight, then transition into a strong post-tropical cyclone while approaching southeastern Newfoundland late Friday. Hazardous surf and rip currents remain a threat across the Bahamas, Cuba, Hispaniola, and Bermuda through the next 24–36 hours.
I'm a dedicated researcher, journalist, and editor at The Watchers. With over 20 years of experience in the media industry, I specialize in hard science news, focusing on extreme weather, seismic and volcanic activity, space weather, and astronomy, including near-Earth objects and planetary defense strategies. You can reach me at teo /at/ watchers.news.
Commenting rules and guidelines
We value the thoughts and opinions of our readers and welcome healthy discussions on our website. In order to maintain a respectful and positive community, we ask that all commenters follow these rules.