Hurricane Melissa made landfall on Jamaica as a catastrophic Category 5 storm, bringing with it winds of up to 185 miles per hour and causing widespread destruction. The storm's powerful winds tore roofs off buildings, landslides were reported, and power outages left thousands without electricity.
The Prime Minister, Andrew Holness, warned that the island's infrastructure was not equipped to withstand a Category 5 hurricane, emphasizing the need for speed in recovery efforts. "There is no infrastructure in the region that can withstand a Category 5," he said. "The question now is the speed of recovery. That's the challenge."
Floodwaters trapped several families in their homes, and rescue teams were unable to reach them due to hazardous conditions. The storm also caused extensive damage in the southwestern parish of St. Elizabeth, which was left underwater.
The hurricane's center was located about 15 miles east of Montego Bay, Jamaica, and 200 miles southwest of Guantánamo, Cuba. The storm tied two records for the strongest Atlantic storm at landfall: a Category 5 wind speed and a low central pressure of 892 millibars.
As Melissa moves off the coast, its counterclockwise rotation will bring a heavy storm surge to northern Jamaica through the night. The storm is expected to make landfall in eastern Cuba late Tuesday or early Wednesday, where it will bring up to 20 inches of rain and a significant storm surge along the coast.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel urged his citizens to take precautions as the storm approached, warning that it was the strongest ever to hit national territory. In Santiago de Cuba, people were frantically preparing for the storm, while authorities in eastern Holguín province prepared to evacuate over 200,000 people.
The storm has already been blamed for seven deaths in the Caribbean, including three in Jamaica and one in the Dominican Republic. Emergency responders are on high alert, with hospitals along the coast reporting damage and power outages.
The Prime Minister, Andrew Holness, warned that the island's infrastructure was not equipped to withstand a Category 5 hurricane, emphasizing the need for speed in recovery efforts. "There is no infrastructure in the region that can withstand a Category 5," he said. "The question now is the speed of recovery. That's the challenge."
Floodwaters trapped several families in their homes, and rescue teams were unable to reach them due to hazardous conditions. The storm also caused extensive damage in the southwestern parish of St. Elizabeth, which was left underwater.
The hurricane's center was located about 15 miles east of Montego Bay, Jamaica, and 200 miles southwest of Guantánamo, Cuba. The storm tied two records for the strongest Atlantic storm at landfall: a Category 5 wind speed and a low central pressure of 892 millibars.
As Melissa moves off the coast, its counterclockwise rotation will bring a heavy storm surge to northern Jamaica through the night. The storm is expected to make landfall in eastern Cuba late Tuesday or early Wednesday, where it will bring up to 20 inches of rain and a significant storm surge along the coast.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel urged his citizens to take precautions as the storm approached, warning that it was the strongest ever to hit national territory. In Santiago de Cuba, people were frantically preparing for the storm, while authorities in eastern Holguín province prepared to evacuate over 200,000 people.
The storm has already been blamed for seven deaths in the Caribbean, including three in Jamaica and one in the Dominican Republic. Emergency responders are on high alert, with hospitals along the coast reporting damage and power outages.
i mean cat 5 winds? that's like, whoa. and the fact that they're saying there's no infrastructure to withstand it is wild. what if this is some kinda setup for a massive government takeover or something? you know, like, we need to rebuild after this disaster so we can be more in control of our own lives. and have you seen all the flooding pics from St Elizabeth? it looks like a war zone 
i'm not saying it's a conspiracy or anything but... let's just say i'll be keeping an eye on this one 
! 185 miles per hour winds? that's insane!!! i can only imagine how scary it must be to live in an area where they're not prepared for that kind of destruction. infrastructure issues are super serious, but i'm also thinking about the people who lost their homes and loved ones 
. how will the recovery efforts go? so many questions 
. hope the rescue teams can do their job safely 
.
they're going through a lot right now... i mean, 185 miles per hour is crazy 
that's like a whole different world when it comes to wind speed... and the fact that there's no infrastructure to withstand that kind of force? 
it just makes you wanna cry for them. i do hope the rescue teams can get through to those trapped families soon 
and that the recovery efforts move at a faster pace than what the pm said 
oh my goodness this is just devastating news 
. The storm surge prediction for Cuba sounds super scary too 
.
. It's amazing how quickly rescue teams can respond when there's a need, but in situations like this, every minute counts 
. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that everyone stays safe and gets the help they need 
. This storm is a reminder of how powerful nature can be, let's all just take a moment to appreciate the resilience of those affected 
.
. The fact that the infrastructure can't withstand a Category 5 is really concerning 
. Seven deaths already? That's just devastating 
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. And 200,000 people are being evacuated in Cuba, can you imagine?! 
It's just sad to see how some places are still struggling after all these years 
.
I'm still trying to process the destruction caused by Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica 
. The PM is right, though - they need all the help they can get from the world 
. Cuba is also bracing for impact, and I'm sending all my thoughts to their people 
. I just hope emergency responders can do their job and save as many lives as possible 
.
The fact that Jamaica's infrastructure can't even handle it is a major concern, and the recovery efforts are gonna be super tough. 
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, and the Cuban government is taking it seriously. And yeah, the storm surge predictions are sketchy at best 
. It's like, we can predict the weather so much now, but sometimes Mother Nature just throws us a curveball 
.
like, the storm is expected to make landfall in eastern cuba which means they'll get a chance to prepare and respond better than jamaica did. & maybe this will be an opportunity for them to rebuild and create something even stronger & more resilient? 
