Lakeland Gazette

10/27/2025

10/27/2025

Hurricane Melissa is now a Category 5 hurricane, the National Hurricane Center announced. Located about 130 miles south-southwest of Kingston, Jamaica, Melissa is moving toward the west at about 3 mph. A slow turn toward the northwest and north is expected today and tonight before a northeastward acceleration beginning on Tuesday and through Thursday. Melissa is expected to move near or over Jamaica tonight and Tuesday before going across southeastern Cuba Tuesday night, and across the southeastern Bahamas on Wednesday....

https://lakelandgazette.info/news/2025/10/27/melissa-strengthens-to-category-5-hurricane/

10/27/2025

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has changed its website banner to blame Democrats for the inability to fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) due to the federal shutdown. “Senate Democrats have now voted 12 times not to fund the food stamp program,” the website states, adding that “the well has run dry.” The shutdown, which entered its 26th day on Sunday, is now the second-longest in U.S....

https://lakelandgazette.info/news/2025/10/27/trump-admin-hijacks-website-for-hungry-families/

10/27/2025

MELISSA | The 5 am advisory comes with a track update. There is not much change here. Melissa is expected to make landfall in Jamaica as the strongest hurricane in modern history for that island nation on Tuesday morning. Winds could be at Category 5 intensity. Wind damage will be extensive near the eye. Elsewhere on the island flash flooding, mudslides and a significant storm surge are all likely.

10/27/2025

11 PM SUN MELISSA | The new NHC track calls for Melissa to make landfall in Jamaica Tuesday morning as a Category 5 hurricane with winds at 160 mph. The storm is unfortunately so well organized, and with little to no upper level wind shear and water temps well into the 80s, there's just nothing there to weaken the storm before it hits the island nation.

10/27/2025

10/26/2025

5pm Melissa Update:

After landfall in Jamaica and Cuba, Melissa still poses a threat to the Central and Eastern Bahamas along with the Turks and Caicos. By then, the storm will be weaker, but still expected to be a Cat 2 hurricane.

Unfortunately, odds are high Melissa will be a catastrophic Cat 5 hurricane when it hits Jamaica and a Cat 3 when it hits Cuba. The track matters in terms of who gets the strongest winds. The strongest winds will only extend about 15 miles out from the eye of the storm. So, hopefully, landfall will be in a less populated part of Jamaica. Still, rainfall will exceed 3 feet in some areas. There's no way to avoid devastating impacts on the island.

There will also be significant impacts on Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. The forecast is Cat 3 with winds of 120 mph at landfall there.

Our team will continue to update 24/7.

10/26/2025

5 PM MELISSA | Hurricane Hunters in the storm have found that the rapid intensification has likely come to and end, but the storm could still reach Cat 5 within the next 24 hours. Winds are now at 145 mph. The track has shifted a little west, but not enough to spare Jamaica. Hurricane warnings have now been issued for Cuba.

10/26/2025

Hurricane Melissa strengthened into a Category 4 storm as it churned northwest through the Caribbean Sea on Sunday, according to the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center. A Hurricane Warning -- meaning that hurricane conditions are expected -- was in effect for Jamaica as of early Sunday, the NHC said. A Hurricane Watch -- meaning that hurricane conditions are possible -- was in effect for the southwestern peninsula of Haiti and the southeastern regions of Cuba....

https://lakelandgazette.info/news/2025/10/26/hurricane-melissa-upgraded-to-category-4-expected-to-strengthen-as-it-approaches-jamaica/

10/26/2025

SUNDAY 5 AM | Hurricane Melissa is now a Category FOUR storm with winds at 140 mph. Melissa's winds have doubled in just 24 hours. Extreme rapid intensification, and it's not done yet. It is expected to reach Category 5 by this evening.