Jamaicans have begun taking shelter as Hurricane Melissa approaches with ferocious winds, toppling trees and triggering power cuts ahead of the storm’s anticipated landfall. The slow-moving behemoth, described as the strongest hurricane to threaten the island since records began in 1851, is intensifying and expected to linger over the country. Authorities fear catastrophic flooding, landslides and widespread destruction of infrastructure.
Early Signs of Damage and Historical Context
In the south-western parish of St Elizabeth Parish winds have already reached extreme levels, with a tree collapsing onto electricity poles and cutting power. That parish had also suffered significant damage last year from Hurricane Beryl, which caused historic destruction in St Vincent & the Grenadines, Grenada and Jamaica. Some residents noted they had only recently completed repairs from Beryl.
Meteorological Warnings and Rapid Intensification
Evan Thompson, the director of the Meteorological Service of Jamaica, warned that “no part of the island is likely to be spared” by Melissa’s deadly combination of rapid intensification and slow forward motion. He explained: “If it continues as projected in terms of the turn toward the island, we should therefore on Tuesday look for the hurricane force winds starting to impact southern coastal areas and then gradually spreading as the system moves closer to the coastline.” Thompson emphasized the notable strength of the storm’s rapid strengthening, stating: “That is something that would not always happen, and this is usually indicative of the kind of warm waters that we’re experiencing that we believe is somewhat related to climate change.”
Melissa has reached Category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale — the highest rating, indicating sustained winds in excess of 157 mph (250 km/h). Jonathan Porter, chief meteorologist at AccuWeather, asserted that Melissa would be the strongest hurricane in recorded history to hit Jamaica directly. He noted that critical infrastructure, including Jamaica’s main international airport and power plants, are located along the coastal region of Kingston, where a storm surge of up to four metres (13 feet) is expected. “This can become a true humanitarian crisis very quickly, and there is likely going to be the need for a lot of international support,” he added.
