Tampa Bay residents with ties to Jamaica are worried about Hurricane Melissa
By Emma Brisk
October 28, 2025 at 5:00 AM EDT
Hurricane Melissa hit Jamaica Tuesday as a powerful Category 5 storm — the worst the island has ever seen. Tampa Bay residents with ties to Jamaica are concerned.
Hurricane Melissa made landfall near New Hope in Jamaica as a strong Category 5 storm shortly after 1 p.m. Tuesday.
Tampa has a large Caribbean community, so many residents are watching the storm closely and speaking with loved ones who are bracing for impact.
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Andrew Ashmeade owns four Jerk Hut restaurants in Tampa. He just visited his family in Jamaica last week and said a storm was the last thing on his mind.
“I was admiring the beauty of the island and I was just thinking how much I miss being there,” Ashmeade said. “We just want to pray that we don’t get a direct hit from this major storm.”
Many towns along Jamaica's southern coast reported power outages as winds picked up Sunday night. Ashmeade’s sister lost power well before Melissa made landfall.
Workers board up shop windows ahead of Hurricane Melissa's forecast arrival in Kingston, Jamaica, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025. (5207x3471, AR: 1.5001440507058486)
Joshua Shirley is with the Jamaican Alliance Movement at USF. He is from Jamaica and also has family still living there. He said he can’t imagine the damage they might suffer.
“We’ve never seen a hurricane or disaster of this caliber and I do think the recovery process will be difficult,“ said Shirley. “That’s why we’re reliant on the support of people from other countries that can really make an impact.”
Shirley has started a GoFundMe page to raise money for those affected by Hurricane Melissa.
“A simple $5 donation or what you spend on a coffee could really change lives of people; could really have an impact that's bigger than life,” said Shirley
READ MORE: Melissa inches closer to Jamaica; all the records it's broken so far
Jamaica has not seen a direct landfall of a hurricane over a Category 3. Melissa is expected to strike with the strongest winds ever recorded on the Caribbean island since recordkeeping began 174 years ago.
The National Hurricane Center said, as of 1 p.m. Tuesday, the storm had maximum sustained winds of 185 mph.
Areas of eastern Jamaica could see up to 30 inches of rain and western Haiti could get around 16 inches.
A fisherman ties boats in preparation for the forecasted arrival of Hurricane Melissa in Old Harbour, Jamaica, Monday, Oct. 27, 2025. (5616x3744, AR: 1.5)
Melissa’s effects are predicted to leave a long-term impact similar to historic hurricanes like Katrina and Sandy, washing away roads, knocking out electricity and destroying homes, meteorologists said.
“I want the people of Tampa to know that this isn't the typical hurricane and to really pray for the people of Jamaica,” Shirley said.
The Associated Press reports Melissa has already caused seven deaths in the Caribbean as of early Tuesday — three in Haiti, three in Jamaica, and one in the Dominican Republic, where another person remains missing.
The hurricane was moving north-northeast at nine miles per hour, which is expected to lengthen landfall and cause worse damage from strong winds, pockets of flooding rain, and life-threatening storm surge of up to 13 feet.
Mandatory evacuations were ordered for flood-prone areas in Jamaica, with buses taking people to shelters. However, reports say fewer than 1,000 people had heeded orders by late Monday.
Melissa is expected to hit eastern Cuba later Tuesday or early Wednesday, with up to 20 inches of rain forecast for parts of the island.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
This satellite image provided by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration shows Hurricane Melissa, as of Monday, Oct. 27, 2025. (1034x1551, AR: 0.6666666666666666)
Tampa has a large Caribbean community, so many residents are watching the storm closely and speaking with loved ones who are bracing for impact.
Lea esta historia en español
Andrew Ashmeade owns four Jerk Hut restaurants in Tampa. He just visited his family in Jamaica last week and said a storm was the last thing on his mind.
“I was admiring the beauty of the island and I was just thinking how much I miss being there,” Ashmeade said. “We just want to pray that we don’t get a direct hit from this major storm.”
Many towns along Jamaica's southern coast reported power outages as winds picked up Sunday night. Ashmeade’s sister lost power well before Melissa made landfall.
Workers board up shop windows ahead of Hurricane Melissa's forecast arrival in Kingston, Jamaica, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025. (5207x3471, AR: 1.5001440507058486)
Joshua Shirley is with the Jamaican Alliance Movement at USF. He is from Jamaica and also has family still living there. He said he can’t imagine the damage they might suffer.
“We’ve never seen a hurricane or disaster of this caliber and I do think the recovery process will be difficult,“ said Shirley. “That’s why we’re reliant on the support of people from other countries that can really make an impact.”
Shirley has started a GoFundMe page to raise money for those affected by Hurricane Melissa.
“A simple $5 donation or what you spend on a coffee could really change lives of people; could really have an impact that's bigger than life,” said Shirley
READ MORE: Melissa inches closer to Jamaica; all the records it's broken so far
Jamaica has not seen a direct landfall of a hurricane over a Category 3. Melissa is expected to strike with the strongest winds ever recorded on the Caribbean island since recordkeeping began 174 years ago.
The National Hurricane Center said, as of 1 p.m. Tuesday, the storm had maximum sustained winds of 185 mph.
Areas of eastern Jamaica could see up to 30 inches of rain and western Haiti could get around 16 inches.
A fisherman ties boats in preparation for the forecasted arrival of Hurricane Melissa in Old Harbour, Jamaica, Monday, Oct. 27, 2025. (5616x3744, AR: 1.5)
Melissa’s effects are predicted to leave a long-term impact similar to historic hurricanes like Katrina and Sandy, washing away roads, knocking out electricity and destroying homes, meteorologists said.
“I want the people of Tampa to know that this isn't the typical hurricane and to really pray for the people of Jamaica,” Shirley said.
The Associated Press reports Melissa has already caused seven deaths in the Caribbean as of early Tuesday — three in Haiti, three in Jamaica, and one in the Dominican Republic, where another person remains missing.
The hurricane was moving north-northeast at nine miles per hour, which is expected to lengthen landfall and cause worse damage from strong winds, pockets of flooding rain, and life-threatening storm surge of up to 13 feet.
Mandatory evacuations were ordered for flood-prone areas in Jamaica, with buses taking people to shelters. However, reports say fewer than 1,000 people had heeded orders by late Monday.
Melissa is expected to hit eastern Cuba later Tuesday or early Wednesday, with up to 20 inches of rain forecast for parts of the island.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
This satellite image provided by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration shows Hurricane Melissa, as of Monday, Oct. 27, 2025. (1034x1551, AR: 0.6666666666666666)