Hurricane Melissa batters Jamaica with catastrophic winds, heads toward Cuba

Hurricane Melissa struck Jamaica as a Category 5 storm, one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record. Authorities warned residents to stay indoors as storm surges of up to 4 metres and winds reaching 295 kph (185 mph) swept across southern Jamaica.

Heavy floodwaters inundated south-western regions, winds tore roofs from buildings, and boulders tumbled onto roads. Landslides, fallen trees, and widespread power outages were reported as the hurricane hit near New Hope. Officials cautioned that damage assessment and cleanup would be slow, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports.

“There is no infrastructure in the region that can withstand a Category 5,” Prime Minister Andrew Holness said. “The question now is the speed of recovery. That’s the challenge.”

In Black River, at least three families were trapped in their homes by floodwaters. Desmond McKenzie, deputy chairman of Jamaica’s Disaster Risk Management Council, said rescue crews could not reach them due to dangerous conditions. “Roofs were flying off. We are hoping and praying that the situation will ease so that some attempt can be made to get to those persons,” he said. McKenzie added that the parish of St Elizabeth was severely affected, describing it as “underwater.”

Melissa, the strongest hurricane to hit Jamaica in 174 years, was still active, and officials stressed that it was too early to gauge the full extent of the damage. Rohan Brown, of Jamaica’s Meteorological Service, warned that as Melissa moves off the coast, its counter-clockwise rotation would bring heavy storm surges to northern Jamaica.

Nearly 15,000 people took shelter, while 540,000 customers (77%) were without power. Colin Bogle, a Mercy Corps adviser, described families sheltering in place despite evacuation orders. “The noise is relentless. People are anxious and just trying to hold on until the storm passes,” he said.

Melissa’s sustained winds of 230 kph (145 mph) and central pressure of 892 millibars tied historical records for Atlantic storms at landfall, matching the 1935 Labor Day hurricane and 2019’s Hurricane Dorian, according to scientists Phil Klotzbach and Brian McNoldy.

Officials warned of life-threatening storm surges and reported that four hospitals were damaged, with one losing power and forcing the evacuation of 75 patients. In Kingston, residents were cautioned about crocodiles displaced by flooding.

The storm has already claimed seven lives in the Caribbean, including three in Jamaica, three in Haiti, and one in the Dominican Republic, with another person missing. Authorities are preparing for debris clearance and emergency relief distribution, while UN agencies and NGOs have pre-positioned supplies.

Melissa is now heading toward eastern Cuba, where President Miguel Díaz-Canel called it “the strongest ever to hit national territory.” In Santiago de Cuba, residents sought refuge with relatives and neighbors, while authorities in Holguín province evacuated more than 200,000 people as the nation braces for the hurricane’s full force.

By Vafa Guliyeva