Hurricane Melissa Rapidly Gains Strength, Brings Catastrophic Flooding

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Hurricane Melissa Rapidly Gains Strength, Brings Catastrophic Flooding
Hurricane Melissa Rapidly Gains Strength, Brings Catastrophic Flooding

People wade through a street flooded by rains caused by Tropical Storm Melissa in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on Oct. 24, 2025. Ricardo Hernandez/AP Photo

Hurricane Melissa continued to pound the Caribbean on Oct. 26 and is expected to rapidly intensify into a major hurricane, bringing heavy rain, catastrophic flooding, and landslides to parts of Jamaica and Haiti, forecasters said.

The system strengthened from a tropical storm into a hurricane Saturday afternoon, according to a 2 p.m. ET advisory from the National Hurricane Center (NHC). Meteorologists earlier in the day warned Melissa could reach Category 4 strength, delivering torrential rainfall and destructive winds.

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