Jamaica is on high alert as Hurricane Melissa barrels toward the island, with forecasters warning that it could be the most powerful storm ever to hit the Caribbean nation. The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) upgraded Melissa to a Category 5 hurricane early Monday, placing it at the top of the intensity scale.
The storm, currently about 220km southwest of Kingston, is packing sustained winds of 260km/h and could strengthen further over the next 24 hours. Its slow movement is amplifying fears of catastrophic flooding, as it is expected to dump up to 100cm of rain in some regions over the next four days.
Melissa’s core is forecast to move near or over Jamaica between Monday night and Tuesday, before sweeping across southeastern Cuba on Tuesday night and the southeastern Bahamas by Wednesday. The NHC has warned of “life-threatening storm surges and destructive winds,” urging residents to prepare for widespread damage.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness has ordered the immediate evacuation of vulnerable areas, including sections of Kingston and flood-prone coastal communities. “We urge all Jamaicans to take this storm seriously and move to safety now,” Holness said in an emergency address.
Minister of Local Government Desmond McKenzie confirmed that all 881 shelters across the island are now open and ready to receive evacuees. “We are in full emergency mode,” McKenzie told local media, emphasizing that rescue teams and disaster response units have been deployed nationwide.
Melissa has already left a deadly trail across Hispaniola, the island shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic. At least three people were killed in Haiti as torrential rains triggered flash floods, while hundreds of homes were submerged. In the Dominican Republic, authorities reported one fatality—a 79-year-old man swept away by floodwaters in Santo Domingo—and a 13-year-old missing after being dragged out to sea by strong currents.
Emergency crews in both countries have been conducting rescues as floodwaters trap residents in vehicles and homes. The region remains under severe weather warnings as the storm continues its slow and destructive march.
Meteorologists warn that Hurricane Melissa’s combination of record-breaking wind speeds and prolonged rainfall could make it one of the costliest and deadliest storms in Jamaica’s modern history. With the hurricane’s center inching closer to the island, authorities fear the worst may be yet to come.
