THE ADVERSE CONSEQUENCES OF HURRICANE MELISSA IN CUBA.

by Eva-Angela Adan

The powerful Category five hurricane Melissa that reached the Caribbean islands in October 2025 had a catastrophic impact in Jamaica, Cuba, and Haiti, leaving on its path cities, towns, and crop fields under deep water, homes roofless and/or basically collapsed, and major structures severely damaged.

In Cuba, the hurricane, downgraded to Category 4, entered through Oriente, the island’s eastern portion, on October 29, 2025. This area is known for the Cauto, Cuba’s longest and second-most voluminous river, and for the Cauto del Paso dam. The confluence of other rivers and tributaries, open dams, landslides from the Sierra Maestra mountains, severe rains, and strong storm surge ravaged villages, communities, and towns, submerging homes and other structures. Many people climbed on rooftops to avoid drowning in the flooding. Villagers living on mountain tops were trapped entirely, and rescue was difficult because landslides and mudslides triggered by the massive water downstream could swallow them. Several cities and towns have been cut off due to collapsed bridges, blocked and eroded roads, and railway tracks.

The destruction caused by the catastrophic hurricane has been widespread and included not only Santiago de Cuba, but also the towns of Palma Soriano and the village of El Cobre, where the torrential rains and furious winds caused irreplaceable damage to the masonry, stained glass, and carpentry of the Basilica of Our Lady of Charity (built in 1926). Other areas suffering significant structural damage and housing losses due to wind and flooding included the provinces of Granma, Holguín, Guantánamo, Las Tunas, and Camagüey.

In addition to the destruction of homes and other constructions due to strong hurricane winds and flooding, the loss of power lines and telecommunication cables has severely impacted the aforementioned areas and communication in general. Power plants are inoperable, and electricity supply, even in other island provinces not in the path of Melissa, is very scarce; only a few hours (2-4) are available in city areas or municipalities, and power outages may reach up to 20 hours per day. The hurricane has not been the primary cause of the power outage across the island from East to West. The country’s energy crisis continues to leave it in the dark, due to obsolete power grids that cannot meet the island’s minimum energy demands.

As of November 4, 2025, preliminary reports from EFE Noticias (Spain) stated that “over 45,282 homes [were] damaged.” Two weeks after the hurricane, the number climbed to 76.700. Reports indicate that over 1,000 homes have collapsed.

The number of evacuees was initially reported at 735,000. Realistically, the number continues to increase as rescue efforts and damage assessments proceed. Local reports on November 13, 2025, indicated that approximately 54,000 people remained displaced and that 7,500 were sheltered in schools and other sites designated by local governments. By November 10, 2025, the number of individuals affected by the hurricane had already reached 3.5 million. The absence of dwellings for the displaced population will pose a challenge for the government to manage in already poor communities and towns in the country’s Eastern region.

Since many schools are serving as shelters for displaced individuals in affected provincial areas, the return to regular school sessions will be gradual, contingent on favorable conditions and the hurricane’s impact in each region. All to be determined by the Defense Council and the educational authorities. It is still difficult to determine how many schools have succumbed to the fury of Melissa in the aforementioned provinces of Oriente.

As of November 4, 2025, the province of Holguín reported that 193 educational institutions had been damaged. According to recent damage assessments, about 2,117 educational centers were impacted in the region. Upcoming estimates may result in higher numbers. Among the areas most damaged are Holguín, Gibara, Mayarí, and Sagua de Tanamo. The authorities have indicated that more than 670,000 students are still out of schools and universities in the provinces of Guantánamo, Santiago de Cuba, Granma, Holguín, and Las Tunas.

It was reported on November 11, 2025, that the Ministerio de Educación for the Oriental provinces decided to reinitiate classes in elementary-secondary school districts “despite the lack of sanitary conditions, power, and lack of essential food.” Families are concerned and against this decision primarily because many surviving schools are considered structurally unsafe, and the unsanitary conditions, not to mention the epidemic ravaging the country, represent a high health risk. Viable alternatives considered in some areas include using teachers and family homes as temporary instructional sites. It appears that less affected schools (36%) are already operating.

In Santiago de Cuba and Granma, the hardest hit provinces, medical installations have been heavily damaged, including hospitals (e.g., Hospital General Dr. Jose Bruno Zayas Alfonso in Santiago de Cuba), 645 health clinics (only 4% restored to date), pharmacies, and other health-supporting services and offices.

In addition to power outages, homes are without water due to the deterioration of pumping equipment, in part because the electrical system is unstable and has damaged the provincial hydraulic infrastructure. Access to food and drinking water is limited in areas impacted by the hurricane. And in reality, the rest of the island is currently suffering daily from the same power and water shortages.

The island of Cuba is facing a nationwide severe epidemic of the dangerous viral disease Chikungunya, transmitted by the mosquito Ae. Aegyptie. The US Embassy in Havana has issued a travel warning to Cuba. The CDC has issued a Level 2 warning. Other mosquito-borne viruses currently on the island include Dengue and Oropouche. Deaths have been reported, and the population in entire neighborhoods is seriously ill. This situation, which predates the hurricane, has interrupted labor work in many sectors, and schools have been affected by the absence of sick teachers, staff, and administrators. The deadly virus continues to ravage the island from East to West due in part to water shortages, poor sanitation, the accumulation of uncollected garbage in cities and localities, and the lack of medical care at health centers.

The figures quoted above continue to change weekly as accessibility to towns and villages becomes easier. Contact with the island, in general, is through social networks or landlines when power is available. The confluence of hurricane destruction, the overwhelming viruses affecting the general population without the availability of proper health care, and the poor utility infrastructures is eroding a rapidly collapsing nation. Recovery will be a long and arduous task. The Pearl of the Antilles, as Cuba was always known, has lost its luster.

Postsecondary Institutions in Areas Affected by Hurricane Melissa

Universidad de Oriente, Santiago de Cuba (structural damages reported)

Institutional damages in areas most affected (Granma, Holguín, Guantánamo) have not been reported yet

Universidad de Camagüey, Provincia de Camaguey

Universidad de Holguín “Óscar Lucero Maya”, Provincia de Holguín

Instituto Superior Minero Metalúrgico de Moa, Provincia de Holguín

Instituto Superior de Ciencias Agropecuarias de Bayamo, Provincia Granma

Centro Universitario de Las Tunas/CUT, Provincia de Las Tunas

Centro Universitario de Montana de Sabaneta, Provincia de Guantánamo

Teaching and Research Centers affiliated with the above-listed institutions.

Sources Consulted:

Redacción de CiberCuba, October 28, 2025 “.UNE “Deja en Suspenso el Pronóstico de Apagones…”

CBS News, October 31, 2025 “…Cuba far from Spared”

EFE Noticias,Spain

El Nuevo Herald, “Hurricane Melissa washes over Cuba …”, Nora GomezTorres, 10-29-2025

Electronic Publication. Casa Editora Ahora. Yanela Ruiz Gonzalez “Education authorities assess 

school network damage in Holguin.” November 4, 2025 

Cubitanow Redacción. “Polémica en Cuba por el reinicio de las clases en el oriente tras el huracán Melissa. November 11, 2025.

Diario El Heraldo, Honduras