Hurricane Melissa made landfall in eastern Cuba early Wednesday as a Category 3 storm, following its destructive impact on Jamaica. The U.S. National Hurricane Center reported that Melissa hit near the city of Chivirico with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph (185 kph).

As the storm approached, authorities evacuated hundreds of thousands of residents in eastern Cuba. A hurricane warning was issued for several provinces, including Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo, Holguin, and Las Tunas, as well as parts of the southeastern and central Bahamas.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel warned that the storm would cause significant damage. He urged residents to heed evacuation orders and emphasized that no resources would be spared to protect lives.

Melissa had previously struck Jamaica on Tuesday with winds reaching 185 mph (295 kph), making it one of the strongest hurricanes on record in the Atlantic. The storm caused extensive damage, particularly in the parish of St. Elizabeth, where officials reported that the area was "underwater."

Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness stated that the storm had left over 500,000 residents without power and caused significant damage to infrastructure, including hospitals and residential properties. He noted that while there were no confirmed deaths reported immediately after the storm, he expected some loss of life due to the hurricane's strength and the extent of the damage.

As daylight returned to Jamaica, reports emerged of downed trees, washed-out roads, and damaged buildings. Local media shared videos showing the aftermath, including flooded areas at the Montego Bay airport.

Meteorologists indicated that Melissa was the third most intense hurricane observed in the Caribbean, following hurricanes Wilma in 2005 and Gilbert in 1988. The storm's intensity has raised concerns among Caribbean leaders, who are calling for reparations from wealthy nations to assist in recovery efforts.

In Cuba, the storm's center struck Guama, a rural area near Santiago de Cuba, leading to widespread power outages and evacuations. Authorities reported significant flooding in lowland areas, with over 35% of the population in some regions evacuated.

The hurricane is expected to weaken as it moves across Cuba but could still generate life-threatening flooding and landslides. The storm is forecasted to continue northeast toward the Bahamas and potentially near Bermuda by late Thursday.

Cuba is already facing a severe economic crisis, with ongoing shortages of food, fuel, and medicine. President Diaz-Canel acknowledged the challenges ahead, stating, "There will be a lot of work to do. We know there will be a lot of damage."

As the situation develops, officials in Jamaica are preparing to assess the damage and begin recovery efforts. The storm has already been linked to at least seven deaths across the Caribbean, including three in Jamaica, three in Haiti, and one in the Dominican Republic, where another person remains missing.