Jamaica has been declared a disaster area after Hurricane Melissa, one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record, made landfall with 185mph winds on Wednesday, October 29, killing at least three people and leaving entire towns underwater.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness declared the island-wide disaster status as the Category 5 hurricane brought catastrophic flooding and destroyed critical infrastructure, including several hospitals. Government officials warned it is too soon to determine the full death toll.
The US National Hurricane Center confirmed Melissa is the strongest hurricane to hit Jamaica since recordkeeping began 174 years ago. The storm made landfall on the southern coast just after midday local time, bringing persistent rain that caused massive flooding across multiple parishes.
“This is an extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation,” the National Hurricane Center stated in its advisory.
Michael Brennan, the center’s director, warned of a very dangerous scenario with winds potentially reaching 200mph. The Red Cross predicts the storm of the century will affect approximately 1.5 million Jamaicans.
Lisa Sangster, a Kingston communications specialist, said parts of her family home’s roof were blown off while other sections caved in, leaving the entire house flooded. Outside structures including outdoor kitchens, dog kennels, and farm animal pens were destroyed.
Jamaica’s climate change minister described the hurricane’s effect as catastrophic, citing flooded homes and severely damaged public infrastructure and hospitals. At least four hospitals sustained damage from the winds, forcing patient evacuations to higher floors. All hospitals entered emergency mode, suspending outpatient services and elective surgeries.
Floodwater swept through communities across the south coast, including St Elizabeth, Manchester, Westmoreland, and St James parishes. The roof of St Elizabeth Technical High School was partially torn off, while Black River, the capital of St Elizabeth, is deteriorating by the minute, according to its mayor.
At least 35% of households lost power, according to Jamaica Public Service, the country’s only electrical provider. More than a quarter of mobile networks went offline, with internet connectivity down to 42%, according to Digicel.
Melissa weakened to Category 4 status but continues spinning over the island at 150mph. Jamaican weather officials issued red hurricane warnings across the entire country, active until midnight, with hurricane conditions expected well into Thursday.
The storm is forecast to slice diagonally across Jamaica, entering near St Elizabeth parish in the south before exiting around St Ann parish in the north. A life-threatening storm surge of up to 13 feet is expected to hit the southern coast.
Trees, boulders, floodwater, and dangling power lines block roads to rural and vulnerable communities. Authorities warned residents to remain sheltered due to continued flooding and landslide risks.
