Hurricane Melissa Moves Off Cuba, Takes Aim at the Bahamas and Bermuda

Hurricane Melissa weakened slightly to a Category 3 storm on Wednesday as it moved off the eastern coast of Cuba and into the southwestern Atlantic, continuing to bring heavy rain, dangerous storm surge, and widespread flooding across the Caribbean.

The storm made landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday as a catastrophic Category 5 hurricane with 185 mph winds. Melissa is now tracking northeast toward the Bahamas and Bermuda.

Hundreds of thousands of people remain in shelters across Cuba, where several provinces are underwater. At the same time, recovery efforts continue in Jamaica’s hardest-hit regions.

“Preparations in the Bahamas should be rushed to completion,” the NHC said in its latest advisory.

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