- Hurricane Melissa has recorded 185 mph winds, making it one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes ever recorded.
- The storm has already led to seven fatalities across the Caribbean region.
- Experts predict catastrophic impacts in Jamaica, including flash floods and landslides.
Hurricane Melissa, one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record, made landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday as a Category 5 storm and is now making its way through the Caribbean to Cuba.
Before the storm made landfall a United Nations agency said it would be “the storm of the century.” Extensive damage has already been reported in some southwestern areas of Jamaica.
Even as the storm made landfall in Jamaica, it was responsible for seven deaths across the Caribbean: three in Haiti, one in the Dominican Republic and three in Jamaica during storm preparations, per CNN.
After making landfall in Jamaica, Melissa weakened to a Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of 150 mph. But according to The New York Times, this doesn’t change conditions much; the storm is still catastrophically strong as it continues to make its way through the Caribbean.
Even though it is making its way off the island, Jamaica will still see dangerous conditions with heavy rain and strong winds for several hours.
As the storm makes its way off the island, Prime Minister Andrew Holness of Jamaica declared the country a disaster area, going into effect on Tuesday, per The New York Times.
Jamaica’s government also renewed a trade order to prevent price gouging following the emergency in an effort to prevent exploitation as citizens are securing food, water and other supplies.
So far, zero deaths have been reported since Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica.
“So far, we have not had confirmed reports of any deaths, but again, it’s too soon to say that there are not any deaths,” Holness said during a Tuesday news conference, per NBC News.
Extensive damage reported in Jamaica
As the storm continues to travel across Jamaica, extensive damage is being reported across the southwestern portion of the country, including the parish of St. Elizabeth. Officials reported that homes, schools and hospitals have been affected by Hurricane Melissa.
“There is extensive, extensive damage in the southwestern areas, in St. Elizabeth, major damage in St. Elizabeth, a lot of flooding, extensive wind damage to schools, hospitals out there, homes,” Richard Thompson, Director General of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management, told CNN.
The parish’s primary hospital, Black River Hospital, has also been hit but the magnitude of the damage is unclear.
In the neighboring parish of Manchester, the fire brigade is carrying out emergency rescue operations.
According to The New York Times, there are roads blocked by flooding and debris in almost every Jamaican parish and Desmond McKenzie, the minister coordinating Jamaica’s disaster response, said the parish of St. Elizabeth is “under water.”
“In the areas that have been impacted, at least two or three hospitals have been severely damaged,” Holness said in a news conference on Tuesday, according to NBC News. “We have seen landslides and rivers retaking their original courses and destroying property along their banks. And of course, the loss of roofs off housing.”
Officials have reported that around 15,000 Jamaicans are in shelters. There are also around 530,000 people on the island without power.
McKenzie also told The New York Times that it is not yet possible to assess the damage from the storm.
Where will Hurricane Melissa go after Jamaica?
After hitting Jamaica on Tuesday, the storm is expected to continue northeast through the Atlantic.
It is also expected to start weakening after it makes landfall in Jamaica. According to CNN, Hurricane Melissa is predicted to make landfall in southeastern Cuba overnight as either a Category 4 or high-end Category 3 storm.
Cuba has already started to see heavy rain with tropical storm-force winds reaching some coastal areas. Hurricane-force winds are expected to arrive later on Tuesday and continue into the night.
Hundreds of thousands of people have been evacuated in Cuba as the country prepares for the storm to make landfall there. In the province of Santiago de Cuba, around 168,900 people have been evacuated and four other provinces are also under hurricane warning, per CNN.
On Wednesday the hurricane will move through the central and southeastern Bahamas. By then it will likely be a Category 3 or high-end Category 2 hurricane.
By Wednesday evening Melissa is set to start picking up forward speed and will begin to race northeastward. It will likely pass near Bermuda on Thursday.
Just how strong is Hurricane Melissa?
Hurricane Melissa is expected to make landfall as the worst storm to hit Jamaica since storms like this have been recorded. The island country has never been hit by a Category 5 hurricane before, according to CNN.
During a news conference on Tuesday, tropical cyclone specialist Anne-Claire Fontan with the World Meteorological Organization said, “For Jamaica, it will be the storm of the century for sure.”
“It’s a catastrophic situation expected in Jamaica,” she added, per CNN.
The storm is so powerful it is predicted to reshape Jamaica for years to come.
At 10 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, Hurricane Melissa had sustained winds of 185 mph and the pressure at its center was 892 mb, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The 185 mph winds make Melissa the second strongest storm in Atlantic history in terms of wind speed, behind only Hurricane Allen in 1980, which had wind speeds of 190 mph. It is tied with four other storms.
Overall, Hurricane Melissa is the fifth strongest Atlantic hurricane on record, per The New York Times.
Before the storm made landfall in Jamaica, it was stronger than Hurricane Katrina was at its peak in 2005.
Warnings given to the people of Jamaica before the storm hit
The International Federation of the Red Cross expected up to 1.5 million people in Jamaica to be directly impacted by the storm, which is more than half the country’s population.
“Jamaica, this is not the time to be brave,” said Desmond McKenzie, the minister coordinating Jamaica’s disaster response, per The New York Times. “Don’t bet against Melissa. It is a bet we can’t win.”
McKenzie urged people in places affected by mandatory evacuation orders to go to shelters.
“There is still a small window of opportunity,” he said. “Let us see if we can use it wisely.”
The U.S. National Weather Service has made similar warnings to those in the hurricane’s path, saying that this was the “last chance to protect your life,” per The New York Times.
The winds within Hurricane Melissa’s eyewall are strong enough to cause “total structural failure” and widespread power and communication outages, the National Hurricane Center said on Monday.
Jamaica depends on tourism for around one-third of its annual revenue and the small country has limited resources to prepare for a devastating storm. Officials say the country’s infrastructure is not prepared for a storm of this magnitude.
What does it mean for a hurricane to make landfall?
Landfall officially occurs when the center of a hurricane, specifically the center of the eye of the storm, reaches the shore.
“The eyewall, which encircles the eye and packs the storm’s strongest winds, will reach land first. And while that’s a significant and potentially dangerous moment, it’s not officially landfall,” per The New York Times.
Jamaican officials warn of displaced crocodiles
Jamaica’s South East Regional Health Authority issued a warning to residents to be aware of displaced crocodiles seeking drier ground because of flooding from Hurricane Melissa, per NBC News.
Residents have been told to “exercise extreme caution” since heavy rain and floods can often displace crocodiles as the animals search for high ground if their environments are flooded.
The agency serves the parishes of Kingston, St. Andrew, St. Catherine and St. Thomas.